From Here the Clouds are the Same
by cagedxsongxbird
Summary: A sequel to the everloved anime, Escaflowne. Hitomi lives on earth, and loves Van Slazar de Fanel, but she can't have him. Fate takes her desires and twists them around, involving every character you've ever loved in a spell of something unimaginable.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Hitomi Kanzaki smiled as she brushed the hair out of her eyes. The sun sparkled down on her and the young man standing next to her. Perched like a wingless dove, she sat on the roof of their school. The concrete's warmth radiated up through her spine, resulting in hilly bumps on the cool skin of her arms. The man crossed ahead of her, casting a shadow over her body. Hitomi looked up into the face of her favorite male friend and decided he looked like an angel, what with the way the wind gently tossed his straight brown hair, and the way the sunlight illuminated the edges with an ethereal, fuzzy glow.

"You are blocking my sun, Amano." Hitomi teased, sending him a glowing grin. She slowly stretched her hands down to her toes, exulting in the tense feeling that now left her calves. Amano laughed easily then procured from his uniform pocket a packet of chocolate candies.

"They're melting, Kanzaki." Amano stated, waving the packet under her nose. Hitomi scowled at it.

"Are you trying to make me fat?"

"No." Amano shuffled his feet and shifted to let the sun spill its golden rays onto his best friends face. "Yukari didn't want them. I thought you would."

Hitomi suddenly grimaced, feeling the ice plunge into her gut at the mention of her other best friend's name. Why hadn't Amano invited her, his girlfriend, to have lunch with them on the roof? Not wanting Amano to notice her uncomfortable expression, Hitomi quickly popped one of the chocolates into her mouth. Too late, Amano noticed and changed the subject.

"Hitomi," he began as he collapsed with a certain grace Hitomi used to associate with someone she used to know. "Did you have another dream? Does the story go on? Is Chid really Allen Schezars son?" Amano blinded at her innocently, never guessing that Hitomi actually knew and Allen Schezar. Or used to at least. That was before Van Slazar de Fanel, the love of her fifteen year life, sent her home, back to earth.

Hitomi was distraught. She never wanted to forget Van; she loved him more than anything she had ever known. So, to help it seem more real, she told her experiences to her two best friends from the Mystic Moon (that's what Van and his companions called earth), pretending her adventures were all dreams she had every single night. Truthfully, she did dream about Gaea, the world Van the King of Fanelia, lived in. In her dreams, she was with him.

Hitomi smiled mischievously to set Amano off of her gloomy thoughts. It hurt to think of Van.

"Yes, prince Chid is Allen's son. He's quite the promiscuous womanizer. He even kissed me last night. Van saw it."

Amano chuckled in a deep laughter. "Yet you say I remind you of Allen? Thanks a lot, Hitomi!"

Strangely, it hurt to think of Allen as well. He was, after all, tied to her beloved Gaea. She missed him terribly, and the giggly, slightly selfish Millerna. Hitomi even missed rude, spoiled, rotten kitten Merle. She choked back sudden tears.

"Helloooo! What are you two doing?" Came a familiar voice from behind the pair. Amano turned, but Hitomi already knew who would be there and regretted it.

"Yukari!" Amano smiled at her. Hitomi wondered if he really was happy to see her. Allen was again brought to her mind as Amano leapt up to kiss ad almost surprised Yukari. He held it much too long for a boy who might be falling out of love. Hitomi put aside her negative thoughts, remembering the events they had caused in Gaea. Amano and Yukari were made for each other. "You are looking lovely My Dear." He said softly, running a large hand over Yukari's head and down her back.

Hitomi snorted and a vision of Allen swam in her mind. "Be careful Yukari." She said snidely. "You may end up with a tiny brown haired Chid."

Yukari blushed and faced Hitomi shamefully. "No." She said in her defense, sounding about as courageous as the cowardly lion. She really was too sweet. "So Chid really is Allen's son?"

With a roll of the eyes, Hitomi answered her. "Of course. Who else could produce such a white skinned, blonde haired, blue eyed angel?"

Amano took Yukari's school bag from her. "So, what did you dream? We're dying to know the end."

Yukari was looking at Amano with certain adoration. He was returning it. Hitomi sighed happily, content.

"Fine." She gave in. "As always, it started with Van…"

* * *

Van Slazar de Fanel opened his eyes with a growl. He wasn't getting any sleep, none at all. Rebuilding Fanelia was killing him. Everyone was helping out, but it still wasn't enough. He couldn't get sufficient funds to rebuild his markets, and his people were sleeping in tents, as was he. Most of the palace was still intact, but a King should never live in comfort while his people suffered. Not one Fanelian had proper housing. He was stressed out.

Van found an excuse to smile as he felt the cold, pink stone against his hot and sweat chest. He gently took it in his hands, allowing it to remain cradled against his heavily muscled and tan chest. The stone seemed to have a pulse that rhymed with his own. A very special girl had given it to him.

Glad he was alone in the tent but for the snoring, pink-haired cat girl on the floor, Van tenderly kissed the pink stone, acknowledging sadly that kissing it would not bring her back to him.

He ran a hand through his wild, untamed black mane atop his head, mentally killing himself. Why had he let her go? Why?

Van grasped the stone in his fist determinedly. "Show me Hitomi Kanzaki." The whispered words died on the fabric of the walls. Nothing happened. Van laughed scornfully. Of course nothing happened. He had tried once already.

Never being one to dwell on dreams, the King of Fanelia forced himself up out of bed, tightening the drawstring on his pants. He might as well do something productive. He tiptoed to the entrance of the tent, stepping over Merle as gracefully as he could. His heart shriveled again as he saw the bow Hitomi used to wear with her funny clothing wrapped around his darling Merle's neck.

"_Lord Van, I'm angry with you! Bring Hitomi back!_" The kitten's words echoed in his head, stabbing into his vulnerable brain, becoming a throbbing headache. It was written in everyone's actions, especially Schezars eyes. Van shouldn't have let her go. Too late to go back now.

The cool air hit Van, forgiving his insomnia as he left the tent. There was no time to think of Hitomi. He crossed the small clearing to a recently dug well, and pulled up a bucket of water, mentally running over his to do list for the day as he splashed his flushed face. The cool water caused him to gasp and shiver.

"Van, is that you?"

Van jumped inside, but managed to make his outward appearance cool and uncaring. He hadn't seen anyone else out here in the dark of the morning.

"So, you can't sleep either?" Van shrugged as Allen Schezar came into view and sat on the side of the well. His long, blonde hair was tied back and he still wore his sword, despite Van's pleading to trust in peace. How could he blame Allen though, when there was a rumor about his long lost and suddenly found sister? No one trusted her, and for good reason.

"Thank-you… again, Allen." Van said gruffly. "I don't know what it would be like without the help of Asturia." It was slightly awkward, speaking to Allen with such a friendly tone. Just weeks ago they were set on killing each other.

"You've thanked me enough, your majesty. But it was Princess Millerna's idea in the first place." An awkward silence pursued Allen's words.

Vans let the bucket down slowly into the well, willing it not to splash and wake his people. Allen, Knight of Caeli, and Millerna, Princess of Asturia, were in Fanelia along with many of their people to help rebuild Van's home. The King of Asturia wanted to "extend the hand of friendship" so Asturia and Fanelia could live and work in peace. What he really meant was, "Lord Van, I hope you will take my daughter as your much needed queen, so I can be rid of her productively, while having a new alliance with you. Look, she even came to help you. How sweet." Even though Allen had pointed this out to him, Van felt gratitude from the bottom of his heart. He needed every ounce of help he could get.

"Even if it was Princess Millerna's idea, you came with her Sir Allen, so I thank you. "Van said, slightly annoyed that Allen was putting off his thanks.

Allen kindly inclined his head. "You are welcome, My Lord."

Van gave a polite smile and stretched out his arms, feeling the tendons pull and the muscles flex. His bone popped and he breathed out in humor. "I'm so sore, Allen. All of that lifting at Gorgon's mill yesterday hurt."

Allen laughed genially. "Yes, Van. I am sore as well."

Suddenly, the past didn't seem so important, and the two men fell into soft laughter. After all, friends should act like friends.

Allen clutched his sword hilt as he stood. "Well, I guess I'll go and wake the crew. The earlier we get working, the faster it will go."

Van gazed away distantly. "No. Let them sleep a little while longer. It's alright."

Allen looked at the King. "Fine. Try to sleep too, Lord Van."

Van nodded, internally laughing at the yawn that sprawled across his face. He was exhausted, but Hitomi wouldn't let him sleep. Like a conjured demon to suck out his soul, the voice of a woman was heard very close by. Van thought for a moment that it was Hitomi, anyone would have. But as both he and Allen looked in the direction it came from, he was let down. It was only Sherza, Allen's extremely annoying love interest of the moment.

Sherza approached slowly, hands coyly placed behind her small back. She smiled at Allen, her mouth curving into what appeared to be a "sexy" display of her love for the Knight of Caeli. Van held back his rude laughter.

Her hair was a plain brown, hanging long and straight down her back. Her eyes were the same dull brown, exactly matching the shade of her hair. When she looked at you, it was like you were looking into the eyes of a doll, brainless and wooden. Her only redeeming quality would have to be her body. Those hips and bust were enough to drive a man crazy. And Allen and Sherza were good for each other. They both had reputations of being around. Van didn't like to gossip or make assumptions about people, but for some reason it made him feel better about letting Hitomi go when he saw Allen with a has-been prostitute.

But obviously she wasn't getting what she wanted out of the relationship, Van guessed, since she had to try so hard all the time to get the handsome Knight's attention.

"Alllllllllennnnn." The whiny girl whistled through her grate of a voice. "You left me. It was cold in the tent after you left." She said with wide, innocent eyes. Van watched in slight terror as the girl threw herself into Schezars arms.

"Sherza, I thought you were asleep." Allen said gently, stroking her hair. Van held back his sarcastic laughter. It was very normal to see Allen with a woman on or in his arms.

"I missed you." She whispered, eyeing Van like a nasty bug she wanted to squash. Van turned away with putrid disgust as Sherza smashed her big lips to Allen's, winding her hands through his long tresses, pulling out the string that held them back.

Van, thoroughly disgusted, took his turn to leave. "Well, I guess I'll see you soon, Schezar." Van cleared his throat, avoiding the locked kissing pair with his eyes.

Allen stepped back from Sherza, throwing her an angry glance. "Yes, I will see you, Lord Van."

Van tried to ignore Sherza's high-pitched voice as he walked back toward his tent. The very thought of Allen and that girl being together made him cringe. It was so annoying, and their "love" for each other was shallow. Van knew Allen was leading her on, he must be. He always did.

The cool morning was still the further Van got from the campsite. Sherza's excited voice soon drowned out, and all that was left was the howl of a desert coyote and the gentle breathing of Van. He sighed, gazing up into the sky, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the Mystic Moon. Somewhere, Hitomi was on that moon. Van felt a pang of fear, loneliness and guilt stab into his heart. Oh, how he missed that beautiful girl.

* * *

Allen Schezar scowled uncharacteristically at the sleeping form of Sherza. She lay sprawled on his bed, her normal brown hair fanned out under her shoulders. Her whole body moved with her soft, shallow breaths. How she could fall asleep again so fast, Allen had no clue. He stepped back from the bed to examine her fully.

Sherza's body was beautiful. She was thin, and soft, but also rounded and firm. Allen couldn't count the number of exotic curves on her body.

"So why am I so unhappy?" He found himself whispering to the dark. The only answer was the breathing of the eighteen year old girl he had recently taken up with.

With a sigh, Allen left the tent once more, taking his time with the flap entrance. Once outside, he looked around himself closely, then began walking toward a forested area. Why was he with Sherza? What was he doing? None of that mattered anymore.

A few birds awoke in the morning cold, singing out their chipper and smiling songs. Allen grimaced; he didn't like cheerful atmospheres to accompany something messy. His dark brown boots crunched over the bracken and fallen leaves on the forest bottom.

"I don't love her." Allen murmured to himself, feeling the forest agree with him. His conscience told him to become a man and gain some responsibility.

Allen Schezar laughed to himself, snatching a leaf from the air as it descended. "_What am I saying? I don't have time for this." _He thought and tightened his hand around the hilt of his sword. "Selena." He said quietly as he gazed determinedly through the trees ahead of him.

The entire world became silent for him as Allen passed into a clearing. In the center of it was his leviship. On board it were his trusty crew and his newly found sister, Selena.

Allen quickly and nervously stepped to the ship, pausing at the entrance. There was Gadeth, a member of Allen's crew, one who was supposed to be guarding the entrance. Instead, loud, growling snores were filling the silence. Allen rolled his eyes and silently stepped past the disobedient man. He didn't feel in the mood for being apologized to.

The door creaked open almost unwillingly. The dark, familiar hallways welcomed Allen in. He paused again like outside, soaking in the scent and feel of his airborne home. Urged by the thought of everyone waking soon, Allen forced himself down the hall. He passed by every single door with frightened indifference, his mind screaming at him.**_ This isn't a good day, Allen. You know it._** The door at the end of the corridor was his destination.

The door seemed to grow larger as he approached it slowly. His breathing quickened, he was about to break. Allen gripped his sword hilt with white knuckles, trying to summon the necessary courage to open the door. It came to him, it seemed, and taunted him.

Allen had a secret.

The door creaked open very gently, putting the man into a dashed sense of foreboding. His eyes opened wide and it was all he could do to keep from weeping.

"Selena, darling, I've come."

The lifeless doll sat in a chair, its shoulders and legs tied in. It didn't even raise its head as the light and voice fell upon it. "Allen?" asked a weak train wreck of a voice. "Why…" it choked. "Why did you leave me alone?"

Allen shut the door behind him quickly. "I had work to do, sister." He forced himself to breathe normally. He could no longer feel the hand holding his sword.

"Shut up." The doll growled with no power behind it. "Let me go Schezar."

Allen took a step back. "Selena, no. Remember the past. You are a sweet girl."

Allen Schezar watched as his little sister nodded with no sincerity. Her silver head of short hair turned upward to look at him, to reveal her glare filled with hatred and evil.

"I am not Selena, you know it! Jajuka! JAJUKA!!!" The room was filled with the sound of Selena's voice, the sound raw and grating. Allen grimaced, throwing his hand over his face. "Jajuka…Jajuka…"

Allen turned to face the wall, not breathing at all. "Selena. Stop this." He closed his eyes, forcing himself to listen to every single sound his beloved sister made. The chair began rocking back and forth on the floor, creaking the floorboards. It seemed that everyone in the leviship would awaken. But a long time ago, Allen's father had ordered a guru from Freid to place a cloaking spell on the room, so that they could hold secret meetings and did not have to worry about spies.

"Allen, no!!! Don't let it happen again!" Selena, or was it Selena, was screaming. "Please, I love you, Allen. Don't leave me." Selena finished off with a whimper. Allen could hear her sobbing, could feel the tears roll down his cheeks as they rolled down hers. "Allen, oh Allen!" Her breathing came short, she stopped rocking the chair. "I'm dying, Allen. Don't leave me! No!"

Selena sobbed out loud, screaming "Why, Why?" in and under her breaths. Allen wrenched himself from the wall, not caring if his sister was, from time to time, a boy obsessed with killing who happened to go by the name of Dilandau. He ran to her, throwing his arms around her, willing his tears to stop, willing himself strong enough to save her. "Selena, stop." His voice was hoarse, and hard to use. He coughed out in emotional pain, "Selena, I'm here. I won't leave you. You have to work with me."

The room was filled with eternal quiet, but for the ragged breathing of the brave Knight of Caeli. Selena's eyes were empty as she stared at the ceiling, narrowing her sight as she heard her brothers' words. She looked down at him, that poor pathetic man who used women to make himself feel better, because he couldn't take care of himself. And he couldn't take care of her, that's why she had been taken. Allen was pathetic. It was his entire fault that she was like she was now. That's what Allen told himself every single day. And he believed it. He was a pathetic excuse of a man, he wasn't a man. He was a worm who crawled from the bird, not taking stand to that which tore him down further.

Selena wrapped her arms around the brother who loved her so much and began to run her fingers through his beautiful hair, the hair that she once had and would never have again. He was sobbing for her, the man who went out into the world and showed no emotion at all. But his eyes were shut tight, so he couldn't see her face, so he couldn't see what he had done to her. He was a coward.

"Hug me, Allen." She whispered, feeling the fury build up inside herself. She knew right then that she wasn't Selena, and that her beloved brother had to get far away from her. But Dilandau wanted to have fun.

Allen cleared his throat and rose on his knees to wrap his muscled arms around his frail sister. "I love you, Selena. You must know that. You are the only one I can love, until I make it up to you."

Dilandau sneered silently, not allowing Allen to see his expression. Moving his head to Allen's ear, he whispered, "Thank-you brother. I love you too. But you really should let us out of this chair."

Allen let out a roar of terror and threw himself back from the chair, landing on the floor with a humongous thud. His hand was at his neck, and blood was gushing underneath it. He cried out in pain and quickly ripped out his tie to tie it firmly around his neck and hopefully stop the bleeding. Allen looked up at the monster who claimed to be his sister with hatred in his eyes, he couldn't help it. Blood dripped from the monsters lips, and he licked them clean, eyes filled with hunger for more. Dilandau sighed in content, then began to laugh manically. The laughter rang in Allen's ears, causing him much more pain than the serious wound on his neck. Getting up slowly, he opened the door to the room, his sadness crushing down on his weak heart. "I guess you'll have to be alone for awhile. Do not take me for granted Dilandau." Allen said cryptically as he started to leave the room.

Dilandau's eyes flooded with fear as he ceased the laughter. "Brother? Please? No!"

Allen ignored the sound of his sister coming back into possession of her thoughts and actions. He couldn't trust her. The door shut behind him, cutting off completely the ravings of the one he loved no matter what happened.

He went quickly down the hallway and out the entrance door, stepping over Gadeth once more. The sky was considerably lighter, and many birds were singing now, rather than only a few. He laughed to himself as he made his way back into the forest. His voice grew stronger as he laughed more, releasing his emotional pain with his voice. His neck hurt, and he had to get back to camp in order to fix it if he didn't pass out from blood loss on the way back. He should've woken Gadeth.

All the way back to camp, he thought about Selena. She was his sister, and he wanted to help her. He had to fix her and atone for the crimes he had committed against her.

Back in the camp, he avoided his tent, not wishing to see Sherza and have her fawn all over him and his wound, telling him that she would make it better. But he didn't know where to go.

Down the road in the camp was a couple, they were arguing very loudly over something, it seemed to be a baby. Allen's eyes opened in surprise as Van appeared from the tent near where they were talking. He smiled weakly. Van was a good King, he seemed to have a sense of ill that had to do with his country, that way he could know whenever things went wrong and he could fix them. He went among the people, a dangerous move, but it made his people feel safe and loved.

The King of Asturia was weak and spineless, and didn't love his people. He loved his position. Just the way he treated his daughters was wrong. Van wouldn't do that, and when he had daughters, they would be free to love.

Allen growled as his first ever lover came to mind. He didn't want to think about Marlene on top of everything else that had been going on. Thinking about Marlene also brought up the uncomfortable subject of his son. He actually had one.

But someone else came to mind as well. The reason he was here in Fanelia, besides wanting to help Van, the Princess Millerna of Asturia. He was here to protect her, to take care of her like a babysitter. The King had sent him here reluctantly, however. He had some history with the princess. History that frightened the King of Asturia. He always wanted to control his daughter's life. Falling in love with a Knight that stole his first daughter was not in his plan.

Allen smiled with no feeling. It wasn't like that anymore. He and Millerna had moved on. But Millerna would help him now. That's where he went.

As a token of friendship, Van was housing Millerna in the section of the palace that was still left standing. Turning to face the palace on the top of the hill, Allen sighed. It was a long way up there.

* * *

Millerna shook her long, gorgeous blonde hair behind her shoulder, slipping her bathrobe over her bare flesh. Her bright blue eyes blinked at her in the elaborate mirror. She looked very nice today after her bath. Of course, everyone thought she always looked nice. She was beautiful. For just once, she'd always wanted to get dirty, and dress in rags, then see if the men of the world still desired her. But she didn't, because daddy would be very disappointed.

Millerna smiled at herself in the mirror, trying to be optimistic. She couldn't lie to herself however. Her Father wanted her here in Fanelia. He was trying to marry her off again, after the marriage to Dryden Fassa didn't work out. Lord Van Slazar de Fanel was his next target; after all, Millerna was an eligible princess. She liked to think of herself as damaged and used goods passed from one monarch to the next. But Van was a wonderful person, despite the fact that he was only a friend in her eyes. Dryden was much less. But she had learned to love Dryden like she loved Van, and was starting to think that marriage was a guise you put over a friendship that involved sexual activity and arguing. Her dream of true love went out the window.

Sighing heavily, Millerna took a soft brush and lightly swished some blush onto her already luscious cheeks. The effect was massive; Millerna now knew how men couldn't not look. She had that power over them at least. Too bad she couldn't use it to tell them no.

Giggling to herself over finally being free from a stupid marriage, Millerna vowed to herself that she wouldn't marry Van. He didn't want to marry her anyway. He was still hoping Hitomi would come back, she could tell. "Aw, Hitomi, my friend." Millerna whispered softly. She missed the young girl. Everyone did.

Millerna jumped as an unexpected knock rapped on her door. She hurriedly threw herself to her bed, grabbing the gown that was there to pull it haphazardly over her head. It would not do to appear indecent in front of whoever was at the door, especially if it was a man.

Calming herself down quickly, Millerna hastily ran to the door, breathing hard. Why was she so flustered? It was probably only a servant.

The door swung open and there stood suave, young, debonair Allen Schezar, leaning on the side post of her doorway. Her heart stopped as she reminded herself that she didn't like him anymore. He was a womanizing freak and only her protecting Knight. He didn't love her and never had. He liked her because she looked almost exactly like her sister. He was a pinhead.

He didn't speak like a pinhead.

"Princess Millerna. I trust you slept well?" The smooth words ran out, encircling her in a dazing perfume of perfection. But she was good at deceiving people. She placed a hard look on her face, not allowing Allen to have any power over her, none at all. She called the shots.

"Yes, Sir Knight. I did." She said in hushed tones, her voice like a church bell in a steeple. She watched in secret delight as he frowned at being called "Sir Knight" and not "Allen". But of course, she could have only been fancying herself that's what he thought.

"Well, I have a favor to request of you, if you please." Allen said in a serious tone. His hand went up to his neck, and that was when Millerna spotted the blood-stained neck-tie. She laughed at herself in scorn. He still had power over her; she could only look at his beautiful face!

"Oh, Allen." She cried in soft horror. "I'll fix that up, come on in."

Millerna moved aside as Allen walked into the room, his hand relaxed on his sword hilt. "What happened to you? What were you doing?"

Allen faced the balcony behind the closed curtain as he sat in the chair by the vanity table, not making eye contact. "Natal attacked me. I don't know what got into him."

Millerna gasped in sympathy for her Knight. "I'm so sorry. I'll clean it up and bandage it properly, okay?"

Allen nodded slowly, still avoiding her gaze. "Thank-you." An awkward silence followed his words as Millerna bustled around the room grabbing her medical supplies. He coughed and she cleared her throat daintily. Millerna set everything up on the vanity table, and turned to Allen's neck to gently begin untying the tie. His hand rested on hers, shocking her from the cold temperature that his skin was. The contact was electrifying.

"Millerna, do not be alarmed. It looks really nasty, alright? I don't know what go into that owl." Allen reassured her, burning the comment in with the look in his eyes that said, "No questions, or else."

Millerna nodded breathlessly, continuing to unwrap the tie. She made a disgusted face as the wound became visible. There was so much blood, it was unreal to her. If she didn't stem the flow soon, he could become seriously injured. She grabbed a handful of cotton clothes and dipped them in a basin of water, then began to clean off the wound.

"Could you unbutton you jacket and let it hang off of this shoulder, please? The fabric is sort of getting in the way." Millerna asked quietly, keeping her eyes off of his chest as he complied with her demands. She had to face it, she still liked that evil, conniving Allen Schezar. She continued to clean the wound, scowling as it became so. The wound on his neck didn't look like any owl wound she had seen, and it was very nasty looking. She studied it closely as the cloth ran over it. It sort of looked like human teeth.

Millerna gasped softly and backed away, causing Allen to stiffen. "I told you." He said sternly.

"But Allen," she cried in a small voice. "This is a hu-,"

"No. Natal did it." Allen said forcefully, turning to look at her with blank, soulless eyes. Millerna gulped.

"But, it's not-,"

"Millerna!" Allen cried, forcing her back against the wall as he stood violently. "Just tend the wound. No questions."

Millerna felt her anger well up inside her. "You do not tell your princess what to do Knight Schezar!" She growled, surprised at her own strength as she forced him down into his chair. She felt a triumphant emotion wash over her at the look of surprise on Allen's face. "Now sit there and shut-up!" Allen winced as Millerna continued to clean the wound, taking no care to be gentle. She mumbled the entire time, saying something that sounded like "…hang you for withholding information."

She took a swab from the vanity table and dipped it in a stinging liquid, holding it to Allen's neck for much longer than was needed. But he never once said another thing, or made another noise. She smiled behind him, feeling the power she had over him and loving it. "_He has to do what I say."_ She thought devilishly in a sing song voice.

Millerna finished up by bandaging the wound, then stepped back to glower menacingly at the reprimanded knight in her chair. "Are you going to tell me, Schezar?"

Allen stood and buttoned up his uniform jacket. "No. Good-day, Princess."

Millerna glared at him as he left her room, angry at his cold response. He didn't even thank her. Now she remembered why she hated him. But she loved him.

The room became warm as the sun extended its bright and happy rays into the room through the crimson curtains. Another knock at the door brought Millerna whirling around to glare at the door handle. "If that is you, Allen, I'm going to murder you." She whispered under her breath. She went to the door huffily, already preparing her angry face. At the door was not Allen, but a servant with a letter for her. It was from her Father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, welcome to Chapter Two of "From Here the Clouds Are the Same"! Woo-hoo, party! Anyway, I just wanted to say really quickly that many people have asked me "Are you gonna make this fic Van/Hitomi?" Um... if I told you... I would feel shame because I would ruin the big nasty surprise. Sorry!!! Can't say! Although I will say that I am a member of the Van+HitomiLove 4Ever, so you should feel slightly comforted by that... I hope any way. **

**New subject... I think I have misplaced the rating on my story, it should probably be for teens and older, not mature, and I am in the process of finding out how to change that. This is my first story on this site, so I was worried and flustered and not thinking anything except, "OH MY GOSH!!! I GET TO PUBLISH THIS IDEA THAT RANDOMLY POPPED INTO MY HEAD AND PEOPLE WILL READ IT!!!" So, please excuse me. I was thinking that I might change my plotline and need to make it M for Mature so that I wouldn't get in trouble for having something mature in a non-mature section. Better safe than sorry! But I guess what is mature and what is not lies in the eyes of the beholder. **

**Um... without further ado... chapter two! (I made a rhyme!!!) Woot for me! And Van!!!**

* * *

Chapter 2

"So, this year class 2-A is going to be taking a month long trip to the ancient country of England!" announced Mr. Higurashi to the classroom. A chorus of cheers was sent up all around, echoing through the door into the hallway. The students of class 2-A were too excited. Hitomi Kanzaki smiled over at her good friend Amano, who was sitting by the window. He gave her two thumbs up to motion his excitement. They were going to England!

"But Mr. Higurashi, how are we going to raise the funds for such an extravagant trip?" A female student asked with the air of a wise man, pushing up her glasses to sit comfortably on her nose. Hitomi blinked in her direction, trying not to snicker at the crude expressions Amano was making in order to tease the girl.

"Well," Mr. Higurashi began. "As you have all anticipated, we are going to hold a school festival." More cheers went up around the room, and was echoed this time by the cheers of another classroom across the hallway. "Right." Mr. Higurashi laughed at the sound of the other class. "Classes 2-B, C, and D are going places as well, and the younger and older classes are taking local trips. So everyone in the school is getting involved at the festival."

Hitomi raised her hand politely. "Sir, begging your pardon, buy where might class 2-C be going?"

Mr. Higurashi checked his clipboard for a couple of seconds before responding. "I believe they are taking a trip to Italy Ms. Kanzaki."

Hitomi scowled over at Amano, who in turn gave her a look of discomfort. Yukari wasn't going to England with them.

"We'll have to vote on what kind of stand our class will be doing, so expect to stay after school tomorrow for a meeting. The bell is about to ring, so kindly gather your belong-," Mr. Higurashi was interrupted by the sound of the bell. "Well, I will see you tomorrow, class!"

The class became loud and chaotic as the teens gathered their things and left through the door to enjoy their evenings. Amano came up to Hitomi as she was putting her binder into her school bag and sat on her desk corner. "Excited, Kanzaki?"

Hitomi smiled at him contagiously. "Of course! I like going to other countries."

"We might even get to meet the queen!" Amano teased lightly, not being serious.

"You don't want to meet that old biddy." A boy behind Hitomi and Amano sneered, his nose turned upwards in a sheer look of disgust. "I hear she's so sweet, she bought Pekinese dogs for all of her parliament members."

Hitomi turned around to peer quizzically at her classmate. Amano chuckled, trying to appear serious. "Well, I'm sorry not all of us can be crude and cynical, Dillan." Amano said, holding back his snickering.

Dillan ran a hand through his short, silver hair, causing it to pile on the top of his head in a neat little fluff. "Oh, very clever of you Amano." He drawled, his nose still stuck in its sneering position. It was probably permanent.

Amano leaned back against Hitomi's desk again as she motioned for him to leave with her. Dillan freaked her out, and for good reason. Amano shook his head. "I wanna mess with him." He mouthed to her, watching Dillan stuff his things into his bag like a stiff robot.

"Dillan." Amano said with a beautiful smile. "I heard you tried to join a gang yesterday, but they called you a girl and sent you home."

Dillan froze, his hand on his geometry book. He turned to Amano with a look of utmost fury. "What was that?" he snarled. Hitomi's breath came out in one large whoosh. That look reminded her of the way people would attack back on Gaea. There would be sneering and jeering, then that look of loathing and suddenly sparks were flying.

Amano's smile did not waver. "Just asking. You seem tough enough; I wonder why they sent you home."

Dillan smirked at him, his hands balled into fists. "Because I'm starting my own gang."

Amano nearly lost it, the boy looked so determined and so pathetically puny. Hitomi grabbed his arm and steered him toward the door. "Well, good luck with that Dillan." Hitomi said breathlessly, her voice at least three octaves higher. Amano did crack, as soon as they made it out of the door. The hallways reverberated with his freakish laughter, and Hitomi was relieved to see Yukari coming towards them from down the hall.

"Tell your boyfriend to be polite." Hitomi rolled her eyes, yanking on Amano's sleeve. Yukari looked at him in confusion.

"What did you do?" she asked softly as she joined them. Amano ignored her.

With a smile as wide as the Pacific Ocean, Amano smacked a kiss onto Yukari's waiting lips. "Good to see you, babe."

"Yukari! Don't let him get away with that, reprimand him, right now." Hitomi said in a mock-stern voice.

"But Hitomi, he's so cute."

* * *

Hitomi Kanzaki sat at her desk at home doing her history homework. She sighed, flipping through the pages in her text book, unable to find the answer to the question on her pamphlet. She ran a hand through her short hair, feeling the smooth strands and remembering how her hair hadn't been soft in Gaea. They didn't believe in real shampoo there. Except for people like Millerna and Allen, who could afford the good stuff. 

She laughed to herself, under her breath. Willing her heart not to break, Hitomi pulled out the top drawer on her desk and looked at the lone item that was kept there. The very last day she had seen Van, he had given her this. She picked it up and looked at it in the light, admiring how the light could never really catch onto the object, it was slippery, almost a mirage. Hitomi closed her eyes and brushed Van's feather across her lips. "Van." She choked, feeling the tears come.

Her tarot cards sat on the desk against the wall, waiting to be touched. She wanted so much to pick them up and ask them about him, if he was doing okay without her, if he was still alive.

Hitomi sobbed and threw her head down onto the desk, tears staining the words on her text book. "Of course he's alive, you idiot. Stop making yourself hurt." She flared at herself. "You chose to come home."

Her eyes opened to spot the feather lying next to her head. She breathed out and it floated up and away, but somehow came back to her, landing on her hair. The radio beeped and spoke in the background. "… Prince Edward McFannin is helping to save the orphans…"Hitomi took the feather in her trembling hands.

"I want to go back. I want to go back to you, Van. I love you." She whispered.

Hitomi's door opened suddenly, causing her to jump and fling the feather into the drawer while simultaneously wiping her eyes free of tears. It was her little brother. "Hitomi, I'm a dinosaur. Rawwwwr!" he said excitedly. Hitomi laughed and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Very good. But Hitomi is doing homework and needs some peace and quiet, okay?" Her little brother ran out without another word.

Hitomi got up to turn the radio off and spied the tarot cards once more. Just one little reading wouldn't hurt. But she had sworn to never, ever read them again. And what if she didn't like what she saw? What if Van had another girl? She didn't want to see that, even if he was happy. It would tear her apart.

Growling, Hitomi threw her tarot cards into the closet, willing them to get lost forever. She'd had enough with the future. From the time she had left Gaea she had not meddled with the future. Girls at school tried to get her to tell their fortune and she had refused. There was no reason to start now.

Hitomi couldn't finish her homework with an attitude like this. She flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to find the space between dreams and reality. She found a dream.

_Walking through the trees, Hitomi glanced in every direction, feeling some sense of ominous foreboding. She couldn't tell where she was, she had hoped it would have been Gaea, but the trees were different than the ones on her favorite planet. They were cultured and cared for, not wild and carefree. Straightening her skirt in confusion, Hitomi continued through the __foliage, spotting__ a cat in the distance __wearing a bow on __its__ head. She looked at it quizzically as it slowly morphed into a little blonde girl in a polka dotted jumper. Her black shoes clicked together at the heels."Lord Van is that way." The little girl pointed through the trees. Hitomi followed her finger with her gaze and saw a bright light filtering through the branches."What is that?" she asked the little girl, gulping down her sudden insecurity._

_"I won't tell you." The little girl said as if she were someone special. She had an odd accent, with an almost whale-like twang in it. Hitomi pouted as she thought, wondering whether to trust the random kitty/girl and keep going or to try to just wake up._

_The little girl grinned. "You can'__t wake up b__ecause you aren't asleep."__ Hitomi watched as the girl took off away from the light, bounding into the trees. _

_"Hey! You can't run off after making such a cryptic remark as that!" She huffed out in disappointment, resolving herself to go into the light. Stepping like a girl on eggshells, Hitomi carefully tiptoed her way into the light, becoming even more confused as she found herself standing on a busy street surrounded by people and concrete buildings. Cars were honking like mad, and somewhere someone was shouting out in anger. "Van? Why would he be in my world?"_

_Hitomi stood there debating with herself on which way to turn when she heard a voice directly next to her ear. She turned and blinked in surprise. Amano was standing beside her with a smile on his face. She watched on as the face turned into the face of Allen. Hitomi laughed to herself. "That hasn't happened in a while."_

_Allen turned to her and took her hand. "Hitomi, I've missed you. But you must go, Van is waiting for you." Hitomi grimaced as Allen planted a kiss on her knuckles. "Don't." she said sternly. He smiled. "Just a friendly gesture."_

_Hitomi jumped as he evaporated right before her eyes. "Allen?" She called and thought she heard the ghost of a laugh. "But Allen, I miss you too." She found herself saying. _

_Resolving herself to get out of this crazy place, Hitomi started across the busy street. Every single car driv__ing past stopped to allow her by;__ all of the drivers and passengers in the car bowed their heads as she passed and refused to meet her gaze. A radio speaker on the nearest light pole played a recording. "Make way for the Queen."_

_"I'm not a queen!" Hitomi shouted at it in annoyance. "What's your problem?"_

_The entire world got __silent;__ there was nothing but the sound of Hitomi's thudding heart. She looked ahead of her, throat constricting at the sight that her eyes had found. Hitomi was standing there in the distance outside of a café while also standing back at the road, frozen in the middle of a multitude of stopped cars. The other Hitomi, the one outside the café, was entwined in someone's arms, their lips locked together in a passionate quarrel. Hitomi's breath left her as she saw the wild, untamed black hair, the broad, tan shoulders, the sword with the Fanelian crest at his hipbone. She was watching herself make out with Van Fanel, King of Fanelia._

_Hitomi blushed to about one hundred and ninety degrees Fahrenheit, covering her mouth with a sweaty hand to keep from squealing out in surprise.__ She had dreamed things like this before, but never where she was watching it, not just feeling it. The couple got closer and the café Hitomi allowed her hands to twirl into Van's beautiful head of hair. Hitomi had always wanted to do that._

_Something else caught Hitomi's eye, something she had not expected to see in this scene. It was another version of __her__ standing across the road from where the kissers stood. Her hands were clasped up to her chest in a tight fist and tears were spilling down her cheeks. Her expression was one of relief and ultimate happiness. Hitomi stared at her in horror. _

_"What does that mean?" She cried out. "Why would I be watching myself kiss Van with relief? This dream makes no sense!"_

_The other Hitomi, the one across from the kissers, began to chant, still watching the pair with __undivided__ attention. "This isn't a dream, Hitomi. This isn't a dream. This isn't a dream, Hitomi. This isn't…"_

_Hitomi clamped her hands over her ears, bending over as if in pain. "No. This can't be a vision. No. I don't want it! It doesn't even make sense!"_

_The other Hitomi's words __bored their__ way into her skull._

Hitomi sat up with imminent relief. Her chest was heaving from her ragged breathing. She made it back. She made it back home. But Gaea was still so far away. Unable to handle it any longer, Hitomi fell over onto her pillows, sobbing like a wilting flower. She cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Merle felt her tail swish in annoyance at the mosquito that kept coming in for the kill. It was so depressing that Lord Van had to do all of this work, and not everyone in Fanelia was pitching in. He himself went out to Gorgon's Mill and commissioned the work on it, joining in with the everyday workers. Lord Van was such a hero. 

"Sew faster, Merle." Millerna commanded of her. Merle growled and stuck out her tongue at the high price princess. Apparently it was prudent of a woman to help with the sewing and not with chopping lumber or rebuilding houses.

"I wanna help Lord Van, not sit around mending smelly men's clothing." Merle said grumpily, silently wishing Millerna would prick her finger and get some sort of illness.

Millerna ceased her mending for a fraction of a second to glare at the hissing cat. "Then you can go and cook him some lunch. Van doesn't want the women out working until the very end when he might need us. It's too dangerous. He would be very sad if a large log fell and killed his favorite kitten because she was too bored to stay with the other females."

Merle sat back on her haunches, waving her long tail back and forth in irritation. "But I can't even use a needle correctly. And I'm hungry."

Millerna continued to pull the needle through thread, ignoring the mewlings of the aggravated cat. Merle stretched her neck out and yawned, then proceeded to lick her hand as if it were a paw. The hot sun beat down outside the tent covering, seeming to make a sizzling noise as it rained down upon the poor backs of the working Fanelian men. Merle looked away with no interest. "Well, I guess I could go and fix Lord Van something to eat."

"That would be lovely, Merle." Millerna said, the fakest smile in the history of mankind fixed onto her face. Merle returned it with the fakest smile in the history of cat kind then bounded out of the tent flaps on her legs and arms, running like an oblong cat. A man carrying a large pile of lumber was upset by her as she passed, and he let her know about it. All along the streets of the Fanelian city, cries were heard as she galloped right on through, her mind set on helping the King when really all she was doing was making more work.

Merle reached the tents that had been set up for the feeding of the people. Looking around excitedly, she smiled in content as she spotted a large basket, just full to the brim of loaves of fresh, steaming bread. Wiping her paws together greedily, Merle set her mind on somehow sneaking past the women who were bustling about the rock oven in the center of the tent. Some men were also by the opposite entrance, laughing boisterously as they consumed (at a rapid pace) their ale.

A tweeter of a noise behind Merle's left shoulder caused her to whirl and hiss in fright. Focusing her gaze into the top of the tent at the beam that held it up, Merle spotted a fiend. It was Natal, Allen Schezar's stupid pet owl. Merle could not resist licking her lips, tasting the temptation on them. Her stomach growled, urging her onward into a decision that would very likely end in her banishment from Lord Van's presence as punishment. That stupid owl was always watching her, probably just waiting to get her into trouble for something as innocent as stealing bread for the King of Fanelia. Oh how she wanted to taste those feathers, how she wanted to knock him off of his pompous position in his perch high above.

Merle turned away from the owl with her nose pointed high into the air. "Maybe later. I'm on an important mission." She said more to herself than to the slightly amused owl. Natal squealed and took off into the air, grabbing a loaf of bread before taking into the skies outside of the tent flaps. Merle growled low, then snuck around the basket, sliding her grubby paws into the basket in sheer happiness, envisioning the look on Lord Van's face as he was able to take a break and eat the nice food she had taken to him.

"Merle? What are you doing?" One of the women had spotted her.

Merle smiled politely. "Just hungry, Ma'am!" She said with a slight pout of the lips, helping to make her look much more innocent. She held a loaf of bread behind her back as she stood.

"Let me have that." The women said as she sighed in annoyance. "Those are not for you!"

"But, I don't have anything." Merle widened her eyes for a nice effect. It didn't work.

"Give it back! I'm not playing with you!"

Merle took a run for it, playfully jumping over a table covered in meat buns. As she leapt into the air, she grabbed one of those as well, and ran head first into another woman carrying a large platter of sweet rolls. The rolls scattered like dew on the mane of a horse, raining down upon the surprised kitten. Using this as her escape cover, Merle shot out of the entrance like she was on fire, not pausing to apologize for stepping on a man who lay out resting in the sun.

"Lord Van, I'm coming!" She cried out with glee.

* * *

Hitomi slammed her book shut, her stomach growling without mercy. "Can you please hurry, Amano? I'm so hungry." 

Amano looked up at her. "What's into you today? You're like an evil tiger, waiting to sink your claws into my back. I thought Mr. Higurashi would have to go to the nurse from the laser glare you were boring into him."

Hitomi stared at him with no emotion, which was enough to make him rise from his chair like a zombie out of a grave. "Let's go."

Out on the roof, Yukari met up with the duo, shying away from Hitomi's moody gaze. "Does anyone want to share my lunch? I'm not too hungry."

Hitomi grabbed it without a word to her. Amano and Yukari watched with mouths gaping as Hitomi devoured every single thing in Yukari's lunch box. Her own lunch box lay near her foot, completely empty but for the occasional crumb. Amano started to develop a smile on his face as some idiotic and smart comment made its leisurely way into his mind, but Yukari elbowed him.

Hitomi stared out at the swaying trees, slumped over into herself, not bothering about her nasty posture. Today was a bad day.

In fact, today was so bad Hitomi felt like reading her tarot cards and assuring herself that her future was not entirely dismal. But the future and occult were what had her on pins and needles. She vaguely realized that Amano was trying to ask her something. She turned to him with a grunt.

"Hitomi," He said very delicately. "I was wondering, did you dream again?"

Hitomi laughed snidely. "Did I dream again? No. Not about Gaea." She redirected her gaze to the green tops, watching a pair of pigeons clear the sky with their long, white wings. A lone feather fell gracefully down, floating into the street. Hitomi scowled at it.

_"Van…"_ Hitomi thought unwillingly. Why did she have another vision? Being home from Gaea had made her believe that the visions were over, had made her think that she would become normal again. She didn't want to go back to the way she was. Sure, she wanted to go back to Gaea, but never back to whom she was, or what she did. Knowing the future always seemed to mess things up.

So, as an excuse to help herself, Hitomi was on the moody side, glancing at everything and seeing Lord Van in it. It was excruciating.

"Okay. That's fine. I was just wondering." Amano said lightly, wrapping a hand around Yukari's waist as he became silent and brooding. Hitomi sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry guys. Today just isn't my day." She said apologetically, running a hand through her auburn hair. She tried to smile at the pair and failed miserably. But Yukari and Amano bravely smiled back, trying to help their best friend out of whatever slump she was stuck in.

Hitomi winced as the school bell rang, indicating the time to go back to class. She stood up slowly and took her lunchbox into her hands, trying her best to smile. She managed a slight grimace. Amano and Yukari stood up as well, awkwardly stumbling into one another. Yukari blushed and moved aside, apologizing, but Amano just picked up his trash and went over to Hitomi.

"Ready to plan for our Festival booth?" Amano laughed with her, elbowing Hitomi in the shoulder. Yukari looked at him with worry in her eyes, but he didn't notice. Hitomi did.

"I guess so." Hitomi shrugged, taking a step to the stairs. "Come on, Yukari." She waved for Yukari to follow behind her.

"No, you two go on ahead. I'll stay behind for awhile."

Hitomi looked behind her, seeing Yukari bending over to pick up her own lunch box. Her shoulders seemed small and frail as the plain brown hair fell over them. "You sure?"

Hitomi felt just a tiny bit better as Yukari whirled around to flash her the biggest and most supporting smile she had yet to see. Yukari was concerned for her, but was Hitomi concerned enough for her best friend?

"You heard her, come on Hitomi." Amano yanked her shoulder and Hitomi turned to follow him. They jogged down the stairs, throwing themselves against the door at the bottom to launch it open. "We've only got a few more minutes, Hitomi." Amano smiled teasingly, forcing Hitomi behind him as if he were going to make her be late.

"Amano. Stop it." Hitomi growled. She could see the classroom door just up ahead. She got a sudden idea. "Hey, Amano. Want to race? Just like old times on the track team?"

With a very large grin, Amano took off down the hall with Hitomi hot on his heels. The duo laughed and play shoved one another out of the way, screaming at some of the students to make way or else they'd lose their toes. As the bell rang, Hitomi and Amano crashed into the classroom doorway, making a spectacular entrance full of panting and screaming with joy. The students already seated stared at them like they had recently descended from Mars.

Hitomi smiled genuinely as she found her seat in the near back of the classroom. She collapsed into it with ease, feeling much better.

Amano looked back at her from his seat, mouthing something she couldn't understand as Mr. Higurashi came into the room and claimed the chalkboard. She cupped her hand around her ear to motion that she couldn't comprehend him. Amano rolled his eyes, then pointed to a space behind her. Hitomi turned with a look of confusion on her face and froze.

Quickly, trying not to be noticed, Hitomi looked back at Amano with evil in her eyes. "Leave her alone." She mouthed back to him. Amano chuckled under his breath and motioned like he didn't hear her. He crossed his eyes and batted them shyly like a young girl, then pointed to the back of the room again, faking drool running down his chin. Hitomi was at this point glaring poisonous darts into Amano's skull, praying to whoever would help that he would stop the madness.

Hitomi turned over her left shoulder, wishing for once that she had long hair to hide her face in. A girl with long blonde hair sat in the back of the classroom, gazing fondly at a piece of white paper in her pale hands. Hitomi took in the sight of the girl's pleated skirt and bowtie before embarrassment made her whip around again. Amano was chuckling again, a small smile planted firmly on his lips. He put his hand slightly into the air, daring Hitomi to stop him.

Hitomi wished looks could kill, wanting to stop him from embarrassing the poor, oblivious girl in the back of the room. "She has a condition!" Hitomi screamed at him with soundless lips. Amano's hand crept a small bit higher.

Hitomi rolled her eyes in exasperation as Amano's hand found the air at last.

"Mr. Higurashi, Dilanda isn't paying attention. She has something, sir!" Amano's low voice filled the room as students turned to look his way, then in the direction of Dilanda. Hitomi hung her face in her hands.

"_You are so mean Amano."_ She couldn't help thinking. She was friends with one of those American jocks, the kind she saw on TV who always beat people up and took their lunch money and girlfriends. She couldn't stop him, he was a monster!

Dilanda crunched the paper in her hands quickly, a deep blush flooding her face as she looked up to find all but Hitomi Kanzaki staring at her. Mr. Higurashi made his slow way down the aisles to her desk and held out his hand.

"May I have it, Dilanda? Please?" Mr. Higurashi asked her kindly.

"But, Mr. Higurashi. It's mine! I found it on the internet!" Dilanda made her defense well and she pulled the ball of paper under her desk to remove all attention from it.

Hitomi dared to peek out of her hands and saw Amano shaking and roaring in silent laughter, his fist slowly thudding on his desk. "Show… us! Mr. Hig-Higurashi! What is it?!" He choked between gasps of air. Hitomi turned from him angrily; knowing the only way to escape his gaze was to look back at…

Dilanda blushed even darker. "Please. I won't look at it again."

Mr. Higurashi shook his head. "I'd like to know what it is, Ms. Dilanda, I may need to report you, depending on the serious nature of this." His hand was still extended.

Dilanda hunkered low in her chair and tugged on an end of her long blonde hair. "Fine, but I want it back."

The class waited with controlled breath as Mr. Higurashi took the ball of paper from the shy and embarrassed girl and unfolded it. His face went blank for a moment, then it lit up with certain surprise. "It's nothing but a picture of the crown Prince of England." He appeared baffled.

"Really? He's so hot!" One of the girls in the classroom pointed out at random. But all of the boys in the room were acting sick, fake-throwing up and making faces as they heard who was on the paper. Amano led the clown display.

Hitomi glared at him, promising certain death. That's when Mr. Higurashi walked past her desk, and she caught a glimpse of the picture. Her mind went blank, and she felt strangely peaceful and at ease with the world. She wiped a hand across her cold forehead and felt a dampness there. Then the world went entirely black.

* * *

Van sat down with incredible stiffness, feeling the muscles groan in protest. He had to take a rest, especially when the sky was giving the land a brief reprieve from the boring rays of the sun. It honestly looked like rain. He sighed in bliss as he poured a cup of water onto his head then shook out his hair. It puffed out slightly then settled back into the wild array it was always worn in. His chest heaved attractively as he smiled into the sky. That's what Millerna was telling herself. 

"_At least he's handsome." _She said in her mind, feeling the unease at that one comment alone. There he sat, surrounded by his men, laughing away as he rebuilt his country, the next man who was to be for her. There was absolutely no way to go against her father. He was already angry with her for "ruining" her last marriage. She had tried to convince him that Dryden didn't like to lock pretty things away. He wanted them to be free. Millerna grimaced as her father's words slid into her mind.

"_And that's all you'll ever be, a pretty face. Good for nothing but seducing and conniving. I bet you cheated on Dryden. You did, you've shamed the family."_ Millerna shuddered, and closed her eyes, gripping the bowl of dried fruit like her life depended on it. "Suck up to the King of Fanelia, huh? I could throw on the charm. If I wanted to." She said to herself in a mutter.

If only there was a way Van could turn her down. But there wasn't. In the end, Millerna was the best suited for him. She was a princess, royal by blood, and he needed a queen. Sure he could pick one of the native girls of his country, but where else would he get an advantageous alliance with Asturia in the bargain of marriage? Millerna thought it unfair, but if Van denied the King of Asturia's daughter, he would forever lose his friendship with him. The King of Asturia was prepared to attack the weak, newborn country. Asturia always needed more land, more space to live and grow. Fanelia had lots of it; lots of nice, fat land.

Millerna was being traded away for the opportunity to gain land. It wasn't right, but how could she stop it? She had no excuse. She watched as the annoying cat, Merle, ran up to Van and hugged him, then shoved a loaf of disgusting bread into his lap. She watched on as his eyes lit up in pretend delight, and he hugged Merle back, loving her tenderly regardless of the way she was. Millerna felt her heart soften. He was a good man, just like Dryden. He would try to let her go, even if it risked his people.

Van stood and sent Merle away whining, and motioned his men to help him get back to work. Millerna looked up at the sky; it was still dark and dismal. One of her handmaidens lifted her hood onto her blonde head and she stepped out from the cover of the trees.

"Van." She called to him. He turned and smiled slightly, putting on a show of happiness for her, for everyone. But Millerna knew what it was like to lose love.

"Princess Millerna, thank-you for coming out to see me." He stepped over to her, his muscles rippling like pools in deep water. Millerna looked away, trying not to concentrate on them.

"I thought you might be hungry, and after Lady Merle's meal failed I-,"

Van interrupted her polite manner with a hearty laugh. "Yes. It did, didn't it? Please, come and sit with me."

Millerna followed solemnly after him and sat on the partially constructed stone wall with the King of Fanelia. He took the bowl of dried fruit from her and greedily dug in, offering her his canteen. She declined gracefully, folding her hands neatly over her lap. Her crystal blue eyes took in his rugged and wild appearance. She didn't want to be a Fanelian. She was too refined for this wild, chaotic, exotic, beautiful land. It would never accept her.

Van looked up from his food to find her staring at him. She switched gaze to the fence very quickly. Van cleared his throat.

"I know why you are here." He said under his throat, glancing around at his men to see if they were listening. Millerna nodded slightly and laughed cynically to herself.

"Of course you do." Millerna said weakly. "I'm sorry."

Van smiled sympathetically at her. "Don't be. It's alright. Thank-you for coming, Princess." Van stood like a strong willow tree, with power and grace.

Millerna could not help blushing with shame as Van left her to join his men in hauling the bricks along the wall. Curse her father for sending her here. She didn't want this. She couldn't take it.

The men around her erupted into a chorus of unsynchronized yells as a large explosion went off in the air. Millerna whirled around and felt a large, heavy something fly into her side and she hit the dirt painfully.

"Stay down, Princess." It was Van's voice in her ear. She felt the weight leave her as Van stood. All around her she heard people running to him and heard the clink of metal as his men provided him and everyone with swords. Millerna tried to peek up and Van reprimanded her.

The sound of horses' hooves reached her ears, adding to the tumult and Millerna desperately wanted to know what was going on. Anger began to well up inside of her as she realized that she was a Princess of Asturia and should not be thrown down in the dirt like baggage. Some of the magic Van had painted for her earlier was beginning to fade away.

Millerna looked up from the brown dirt as she heard someone calling her name. It was Allen Schezar. Millerna rolled her eyes. All she needed was another pig head throwing her around for her "well-being"!

"Millerna!" Allen shouted as he leapt off his horse. She was laying face-down in the dirt, not moving. His heart sped up. "Van! Van, what happened?! Is Princess Millerna okay?" He felt instant relief as her dirty face shot up to glare at him reproachfully. He stepped back quickly as the princess got up in his face, yelling about something.

"I don't need you to go around screaming my name, worrying everyone, that's not why you're here Allen, Knight of Caeli. And-," she paused to take a breath.

"Shut-up!" Van hissed at her, surprising the blonde woman so much, her face turned back into the normal shade. She looked at him immediately, her fist poised above Allen's head in defiance. He had his hands up in the air to protect himself.

Van looked up onto the side of the valley, his eyes filling with horror and fear. Millerna followed his gaze and shivered. The entire side of the valley was on fire, apparently from an explosion. Van turned to his men, the flames reflecting in his eyes.

"I want you to get all of the women and children and take them further into the valley, in case this turns into a fight. Every single man will grab a weapon and join me for a stake out on the side of the valley. Hurry!" he ordered, his face alight with adrenaline.

Allen grabbed Millerna's arm, tugging her to the horse. She fought him all the way.

"No, I will not have you order me around. Let go of me!" Allen glanced at her wryly as her slender hand found his face in anger. She stared at him in surprise, not sure if she had actually slapped him or not. Without a word, Allen lifted her into the horse and got in behind her.

"I'm sorry, Van. I will come back once the Princess is secure." Allen shouted down to the distracted King. Millerna scowled as they burst off into the crowd, passing everyone with ease.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked coldly.

Allen didn't answer immediately. "Do not think for one minute that I am doing this for you."

Millerna opened her mouth to retort back, stung by his words, because they were true.

"I am only doing my job, Princess."

* * *

Van tightened his hand on his sword, hoping against all hope that this was all just a big mistake, and that he didn't have to begin the war business so soon after it had all ended. His other hand went to his neck, grabbing the pendant that hung there unceremoniously. For once Van was glad Hitomi was safe on the Mystic Moon. "I love you, Hitomi." He whispered, and led his men into the trees, not knowing what awaited him.

* * *

**So, I hope you liked it my fellow Escaflowne companions. I also hope you will come to me with any questions, comments, praise or complaints, I will take them all and try to use them to the best advantage for my story which I have come to love. But I'm not sure I can cater to all of the requests. You see, I have most of my entire plot planned out, and I don't have much room for deviations. But if you ask for more of a certain character, I can probably do that. It'll just mean placing their story a little more earlier than I had planned. I don't know if you have noticed, but Allen is in this story a whole lot. That's because I am entirely in love with him, so expect him to be in here. No requests to kill him please. And no requests to kill Van or Hitomi or the others as you discover what is going on. If I keep going at this pace tho, you might discover it all too soon... grrrr. I'm too excited about revealing it to you! But the next chapter is going to be very important. So make sure you read chapter three! Thank-you, so much!**

**allensXoneXfiancee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank-you for waiting so long, and so patiently!!! I am FINALLY back from vacation, free from the evil grasps of Mickey Mouse... and Arkansas Fishing People. That's my family! Gotta love em! They're so cool! But I'm relieved to get back to Escaflowne. I missed you, my story, and all of the people who read this. I never imagined that people would take such a liking to it... I was initially writing this for myself... (oh the love of Allen and Van and the ever awesome Hitomi!!!) But now, thanks to all who read, I have a purpose!!! I have a real reason to finish this twisting plot I have started! I am SO EXCITED!!! The story will get fun to write very soon, I think. YES!!! This is awesome!!! Thank-you, all you readers! I love you, really from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't continue without you. Please regard me kindly. And I am so stoked to expose this chapter to you! I really thought it was bad, but my good friend Charlotte convinced me that it was good, so here it is! With a nervouse bow, I introduce to you: Chapter Three!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Van looked with all of his attention through the burning trees, watching with relief as the flames died down. They weren't going to spread.

All around him his men were positioned in the trees, their rugged and wild clothing making it near impossible to see them. Their swords were poised high and ready as they soundlessly made their way deeper up the side of the valley, hushing their footfalls on the soft earth with limber steps. Van was on constant alert, any natural sound from up above or far away made him twitch with anticipation. Who knew what awaited them further into the trees. Van hated the concept of a surprise.

Breathing so softly it wasn't audible to the human ear, Van snuck up to one of his men, Corvine, by the looks of him. Van tapped his shoulder lightly and motioned with his eyes that they should move further up the valley and faster. Corvine didn't even look surprised that Van had snuck up on him. His burly beard concealed all of the war gashes and scars he had accumulated throughout the years.

"Lord Van," he whispered lightly, gripping his axe with two hands. "Why do we not seek the guymelefs for aide?"

Van shook his head, his beautiful mane puffing outward then landing neatly on top of his sweaty brow. "I want to be the surprise, not the surprised." He said with a small smile, knowing just one of those would boost morale.

Corvine smiled back, only it was more of a toothy scowl.

Van put a hand on Corvine's shoulder in affection and took off at a brisk jog into the trees. He wanted to be the first to see the attacker of his country. He had his suspicions on who it was. Zaibach was weak without their leader to lean upon, it might be something just crazy enough for them to do when Van wasn't looking. Van swore under his breath. "_I thought I was through with Zaibach!"_

He shook his head as he slowed and passed a burning tree. The flames were slowing down, simmering into a pile of ash and soot. Van was about to pass the poor tree when he spotted something at the roots. He bent over slowly, crouching back on his knees.

His fingers gently caressed the face of the ragged dolly and picked it up with no force at all. The head lolled back and rolled to the ground, completely detached from the body that sported a little pink dress. Van touched the gossamer wings made of owl feathers on the doll's back, his eyes narrowing in confusion. _"A doll?__ Way out here?"_

The doll was in mimic of the Draconian peoples, it was easy to tell. The long strands of golden ravens hair, the large wingspan coming out of her back. Van remembered his own wings, currently hidden from site, and thought of his mother.

"Lord Van?" Corvine had caught up to him, his axe was resting leisurely on his boot.

Van looked up at him distractedly. "I… I found a doll. It's burned, sorry."

Corvine looked at Van in concern. "Are you alright, my lord?"

Van nodded eagerly. "Yes, Corvine. I'm fine. Has anyone spotted any signs of life yet?" He blinked a couple of times to clear his head of the memories flooding his brain. He had to think clearly.

Corvine suddenly looked very sad. His eyes welled up with tears. "Not of life, my lord."

* * *

Millerna sat down roughly, crossing her arms and staring out of the large window of the leviship in anger. She avoided looking at anyone, but on occasion her eyesight would somehow peek over to Allen, and her heart would snap in two, causing her to boil over in malice and treachery. She couldn't stand him, she couldn't stand the sight of that bandage that told her he was hiding something. For a brief moment she considered taking him back to Asturia and having him hung for treason to the crown. But she couldn't do that. 

"Gadeth, I want you to fly us on over the fires, alright?" Allen ordered, leaning against the railing in the room, staring out into the distance. His stance gave his emotions away, he was very tired.

"Sure thing, boss." Gadeth readily agreed, turning the wheel to steer them in the right direction. Allen sighed as they rose into the air and turned slowly toward the burning valley.

"No." Millerna said shakily. Every man in the room turned to stare at her, their faces suddenly morphed into nervous grimaces as if they were all constipated. No one ever told the boss no.

Allen rolled his eyes, not choosing to hide his grievances. "Millerna?"

"No, Allen. You heard me." She was looking straight into his eyes with a calm, cool glare, her hands neatly folded before her, daring him to fight back. Gadeth looked back and forth between the two, the wheel to the leviship stuck fast in his hands. They were only a couple hundred feet off of the ground. "Van does not need our help. As diplomats of Asturia, we are here to help rebuild Fanelia, not go running off on a suicide mission to be gallant and brave. This is where our work stops."

Allen chuckled, his face lit up in scorn. "Don't make me lock you up Millerna." He turned from her without another word. "Gadeth, go. Do not listen to the Princess, obey only me."

Gadeth smiled at Millerna, and stuck his tongue out. "You got it boss."

Millerna stood with a sharp motion, her eyes flooded with angry tears. "What will you do, then? Your purpose here in Asturia is to keep me from harm. You're dragging me down into it!"

The leviship lurched forward, knocking a surprised Millerna off of her feet. She stumbled against the back wall, grabbing onto the sleeve of one of Allen's men to correct herself. He smiled toothily at her, his hands on her waist. Millerna backed up quickly and sat down once more in the place Allen had designated as her spot. He was staring at her, his gaze emotionless.

"Princess Millerna, no one is going down into the fight. I wanted the leviship here to use as a precaution in case something happens to Van. It's just for an emergency." He tried to smile at her, but she was already looking away. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you."

Millerna closed her eyes, concentrating solely on calming her breathing. "

* * *

Van's eyes narrowed in concern. "Not of life? What do you mean?" 

Corvine's hands tightened around the ornately carved handle of his axe. "They are all dead, Lord Van."

Van looked at him in confusion. "They? Who?"

Corvine motioned with his hand. "Follow me." Van dropped the doll into the soot, hearing it thump ominously as he left it behind and drew his sword in slight paranoia. Corvine led him up the hill a way, and to the right a short distance. "We found the first one here, and it gets worse."

Van peered eagerly as Corvine moved out of his line of vision to reveal the mystery. There, slowly steaming in the soft earth, lay a man, his face blown off of his head. There was no hair, and his body was missing two ligaments. His weapon, as it appeared to be, was lying exactly parallel to his body in a neat line. Van threw a hand over his mouth in disgust. Corvine grunted and pointed through the trees where some of Van's men were gathered. Van could see the remains of a carriage, most of what was left was still smoking. The horses that pulled it lay on the ground, torn apart yet in the same place.

Van's eyes opened to an abnormal size as he took in the carnal display that was before him. Taking a few wobbly steps, he discovered a mass quantity of people lying here and there, all of their wounds different. Most of the bodies were on fire, or going out.

He heard one of his men give a sob and Van turned to look. Huddled under a tree was a pair of ten year olds, one of them a girl from the ribbons in her lit hair. They too had weapons, which confused Van. The weapons were lying parallel to their bodies, exactly in the right place. He glanced around and discovered that all of the corpses had weapons in their possession, and all of them lay parallel to their bodies. Van turned his eyes to the hill further up and noticed a series of other carriages, some of them splattered with blood and still whole, not burned to the ground.

Van had to control his stomach as he turned around and nearly stepped on someone's arm. The arm had no someone. Not anymore.

"Are there any survivors?" Van asked quickly. The vision of the doll was implanted in his mind.

"Not yet, your majesty. But we'll keep looking." Corvine said sadly.

Van choked as a thought came into his head. The tears were almost there. "Are they… are they Fanelian?" He managed to blow out through his teeth. If the answer was yes…

"Not from the looks of it." Corvine said, relieving Van from a nasty burden.

Van held his sword out in front of himself, watching the gleam from the sparse flames on the trees around him. Near his foot lay a pink, fleshy substance, and he had no desire to know what it was or where it came from. "Have you secured the area?" he asked distractedly.

Corvine nodded behind the Kings back. "That's the strange part. We found no traces of an attack from the outside of the caravan. We believe that it may have been one of their own people."

Van looked around him in disgust. "Who would attack their own comrades?"

"We also think that they may have been travelling to Fanelia, or at least hoping the stop here." Corvine continued, swinging his axe into the trunk of a tree and bending over to rub his hands in the sooty earth. It was the closest thing to washing your hands of the mess.

Van sheathed his sword, trusting wholly in the words of his man. If Corvine said it was secure, then he had nothing to worry about. The Fanelian crest on the hilt glinted ruby red in the flame light. "I don't know what to do about the bodies, Corvine. We could burn them, but we need every ounce of wood we can get, especially now that most of it is burning. And I don't want to have to cut down all of the trees."

Corvine nodded slowly. "I'll take care of it, My Lord. Don't worry. You should go back home."

Van shrugged, his shoulders slumped over in a deep depression. The danger was over, but what if there was an outside attacker? What if it came to Fanelia and attacked his weakened people who had no permanent homes? He ran a hand through his hair out of extreme stress.

"I will hold a meeting as to what is going on. The ambassadors from Asturia will be needing to know the danger, as to decide if they want to stay or not." Van started off down the valley, then stopped and turned back to Corvine. "The women and children? They did make it out okay?"

Corvine nodded nervously. "I believe so, Lord Van. But no one has taken the time to check up on them yet."

* * *

A girl sat in a cave, running her hands through her long, long hair. Her fingers got tangled in the strangly locks, because her hands were saturated with blood. Her eyes were glazed over mystically, and her long deep purple robe was dark with a scarlet hue, stained forever in the same substance that stung her hands. 

The girl ran her fingers through her bangs, watching mystified as they clung together in dripping strands. The bangs fell onto her cheek with a soft, wet slap and she turned her head upward to stare at the walls of the cave.

"Why am I wet in red?" She asked to the echo of her voice. Her hands crashed down to her side and her back leaned quickly against the cavern wall. "Why am I wet?"

The girl shifted her shoulders around to look out the mouth of the cave and take in the dark, burning scenery. A man ran by, shouting about a man named Van. The girl's eyes grew heavily lidded and became even more soulless. "Why am I wet?" she rasped, stretching out a hand in the direction of the man.

A noise caught her ears. "Drip, drip." She laughed, turning her attention to the sleeve of her robe. A steady splatter of blood came down. "Why am I wet?" She asked again.

The girl stared once more at the wall, not having any inclination of who she was, why she was in the cave, or why she was wet in red. She did not know her own name.

She looked at her hair, which was fanned out around her, and laughed. "Why long hair? Who needs long hair?" What she meant was, why was it so long that she couldn't move? It more than doubled her adult body length and it was drenched in blood, being very coarse and heavy.

Another man ran by the cave, causing the girl to twitch slightly and shift around to face the entrance. There was no instinct to call out and be saved. There were no emotions, only humor at her current situation. The girl began to hum to herself.

* * *

Allen stepped back to the table, his exasperated face grating on Van's final nerve. "_He didn't have to speak so __boldly__ to a King__." _Van growled in his mind. It annoyed him that Schezar was trying to give him advice on how to run his own country. 

"We need to search the area one last time!" Allen said again, ignoring the motion of Van hanging his head in his hands. "I don't feel like the area is secure. The killer could still be out there. He's out there laughing, watching your men bury his work in the sand!"

Van stood violently and rolled his eyes for all to see. "I told you once, I told you five hundred times Schezar, that we searched the area securely and found no one." Out of habit, Van's hand went to the hilt of his sword. That was why he had wanted peace.

The Princess of Asturia sat at the end of the table, her hands folded, as always, gently in her lap. Her head hung down, almost like the head of a sad angel who had lost her set of wings. And she had. This afternoon, certain circumstances had reminded her that as a beautiful woman, she had no say in things. Her freedom was a farce. So Millerna resolved herself to sit there and not be a burden, and to do as her father said and bewitch the King of Fanelia. She put on her best "beautiful and mysterious" face and sat like a sagging puppet, waiting for the master to jump the strings.

"I think I know when my people are safe!" Van said quietly, taking the peaceful approach of a softer voice rather than bursting out in rage against the blonde idiot across from him. "I do not need your opinion."

Allen sat down with immediate attention, his lips pursed in repressed anger. He glanced over at Millerna and sighed, leaning back with exhaust against the hard wooden chair. Van sat as well, avoiding the area where the temperamental Knight of Caeli sat fuming. "We have a theory, anyway."

The men who were also at the table released their bated breath and leaned back in their chairs as well, glad the yelling was over. "Lord Van, I do believe it is not only a theory, but a true and genuine one." Van nodded at the one man's comment.

"They killed one another, and some of them must have had mystic powers." Van said softly, his mind drifting back to the Draconian doll he had found resting in the ash. "How else would the explosion have erupted?"

Allen Schezar nodded, deciding to withhold his input. Gadeth was already snoring. _"Way to keep up our image."_Allen thought sarcastically.

Van smiled and turned out to face the window and it's contents. "What about the women and children? We need to form a plan. I don't feel right allowing them to stay in the city when danger is possible."

There was no answer. "Is it really necessary Lord Van?" Corvine asked quietly. "We can think of no possible place to keep them. The city is not even close to being finished, but…" Corvine broke off. "Gordane is bringing them back into the city as we speak. We figured we'd just go back to the way we were living before."

Van nodded slowly. "I suppose it will have to do. That seems like the only option." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "Princess Millerna, I will accompany you to your room."

Allen glanced at Van, his eyes emotionless. But his hand revealed white knuckles as he gripped the table with extra force. He turned around and took Millerna's hand, planting a soft kiss on the knuckles. "Good night, Princess. Be safe."

Millerna nonchalantly yanked her hand out of Allen's grip, smiling breezily. "Thank-you, Knight of Caeli."

Van, not noticing the way Millerna treated Allen, walked around the table in the dining room of the palace, slipping his arm under the Princess's to gently glide with her away from his men and the suddenly jealous Knight. The men began chattering excitedly as they exited from the room.

"I wanted to thank you again for giving me a room in the palace, when you yourself cannot stay in your own finery." Millerna said by means of polite conversation. Van turned to look at her with a smiling face, and she noticed his eyes did not mimic his expression.

"It is no trouble at all. I chose not to stay in the palace. It helps my people, it comforts them to know that their King is always with them." Van said happily, adjusting his arm under her own.

Millerna smiled and laughed quietly. "The King of Asturia could stand to learn a few things from you, Van King of Fanelia."

Van smiled again, slowing his pace as they neared the door of the Princess's room.

Millerna felt her time with him dwindling, and regardless of the way Allen looked at him, she knew that Van only escorted her tonight to be a gentleman and to comfort her nerves at the fact that he knew the real reason she was in his Kingdom. She had to do something.

"You are a wonderful man, Van." She turned to face him, stopping a couple feet from the door. Her eyes were burning with feeling as she looked at him. He unconsciously took a step back, not a good sign. He wasn't ready for her.

"Thank-you, and you are a courteous lady, I am very grateful." Van said quietly. Millerna scowled inside, it wasn't the sort of reply she was looking for. She flipped her hair over onto her back and gazed down at the floor. Very slowly, she lifted her gaze up to his, her eyes heavily-lidded, her lashes accentuating the blue in her gaze. Satisfaction filled her as Van's attention was hers. That was what she wanted, that look of complete helplessness. That was the gaze she received from every single man on the planet. Beauty caused them to drown.

Van couldn't break away his gaze. She was beautiful, but until now beauty had never really held much sway over his body and mind. He knew it mattered to him, but Hitomi had been the first woman he had every loved. The love with her hadn't come through the lustful side of his body, it was his emotion. He didn't love Millerna, but he wanted her.

Millerna sighed. Van's gaze had fallen away from her own. "Good night, Van." She said, more as a question however. Van looked back up at her.

"_Hitomi…"_He thought, feeling a throbbing pain in his lungs. "Good night Princess." He said with an air of finality. He opened her door for her, keeping his gaze off of her in any way. He felt her gown rustle past him, but she stopped in the doorway. He felt her stare boring into his face.

"_He's thinking of Hitomi." _Millerna thought, feeling sick in her stomach. She hated playing this game when she knew his heart belonged to her good friend, even if he would never see her again. But she would do it, because it was the only thing she was good at. She was beautiful.

Millerna kissed him on the cheek, feeling the slight stubble of hair on his face. He stiffened, and avoided her gaze even harder than before. "Good night." She stepped into her room, hearing the door shut behind her. For once, she couldn't guess what the man felt after he left her presence. She had never had to steal his heart from another girl.

* * *

Van's face burned hotly, and he guessed the shade of red that appeared on his tan skin. She had kissed him… and he didn't know how he felt about it. He wanted to go into his room and dream, he wanted to hide his face away and dream of his beautiful Hitomi. He quickly threw his hand up to his neck and held the pink pendant eagerly. He had never wanted more to get to the Mystic Moon than now. 

He left the palace, holding the hilt of his sword out of habit. His tent was in the distance, and he went to it, promising himself he would be with Hitomi on that night.

* * *

Allen sat broodingly at the end of the table in the dining area of his leviship. His men were asleep, except for the ones he had assigned to watch over Millerna's bedroom. She didn't know, and he laughed to himself at the idea of it. A bottle of sake rested in his hands, and he had consumed most of it. It was his second bottle. 

Sherza came into the room with a third bottle. "I brought it for you." She said softly, smiling at him provocatively. He smiled back.

"I don't like you." He said happily, laughing brokenly. He thought of his sister in the back room of the ship. "_Nothing like family!"_ He thought giddily.

Sherza blinked at him. "Excuse me?" He was lying, she was positive. How could she believe him in this drunken state?

"You heard me, darling. You aren't very nice." He frowned into his bottle. "This one tastes bad, it's just like you." Allen snatched the other bottle from Sherza's hands, ripping the cap off and chugging almost half of it. He laughed and wiped his mouth.

Sherza smiled weakly. "You like me." Allen watched her dubiously as she slid onto his lap and ran her hands over his chest.

"I promise you, I'm only pretending. I'm a gentleman." Allen smiled, his eyes drooping sleepily.

"Not right now, you aren't." Sherza laughed delightedly. "You're my kind of man. If only that snotty princess could see you now. She'd shriek and order you to take a bath and rid yourself of this nastiness."

Allen tried to lift his head and glare at her, but it looked more like he was about to be sick. "Don't talk about Princess Milly-na that way." He slurred, feeling the doom of sleep fall over him. "She is allowed to berate me." Allen's eyes filled with self-loathing. " I hurt her."

Sherza stared at Allen in surprise, watching him fall quickly asleep. She didn't understand him, the Knight of Caeli. She only wanted what she could get, only used him to keep herself alive. Who cared about the sorry man under her, the man with a closet full of molding, rotting, bloody skeletons.

* * *

Hitomi opened her eyes, staring at the room that held her. She was in the nurses office, and she couldn't remember why.

* * *

**So, there it is! I'm sorry, SO SO SORRY!!! If you don't know why I'm apologizing... then that's okay. That means that a little part I'm worried about offending people with didn't offend you! Yay! So... Thank-you for those readers who stay to reading my story! I REALLY appreciate you, because I love this story, and I hope we can share this common fact! Hey, we all love Escaflowne! Hurray for that! I look forward to finishing this story with all of you! You really help me alot! And to answer a question I have recieved, I don't know yet how long this story will be, as in chapters and such. I have the entire plot skeleton in my mind, and it's sort of like a sail on the Black Pearl, extremely holy!!! There are so many blank spaces that I am having fun filling in as I go along. I love to be spontaneous and impulsive. I throw things into my story, making them weave in perfectly with my original plot. Sweet, huh? So whatever I write is only certain if it is published. My goals change with the characters. Once again, thank-you, and I will try to be quicker with chapter four!!! Sorry for the delay! Thanks, and love to all!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four is here! It took me a long time to write because I didn't like what was going on in this chapter... it seems sour to me. I can't wait until I can write happy things... and attempt at funny things!!! Well, please enjoy Chapter Four! Thank-you!** **Also... if you have any extensive questions about my story, or just wanna talk, you can aim me. My name is "allensXgirl". I also have a Xanga. "bunnyxprincessxserenity" Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four

Hitomi opened her eyes, staring at the room that held her. She was in the nurses office, and she couldn't remember why.

"_Why can't I remember?"_ Hitomi thought, clutching her head as if she were in pain. She looked around her, noticing that she was alone in the room. The sleeping sunlight drifting into the window told her that it was late. Didn't anyone come to take her home? Didn't her parents wonder where she was? It was nearly dark out.

Hitomi pulled the sheets up to her chin, shivering slightly. "Why…. Why can't I remember what happened?" She said to the stiff silence. She vaguely remembered a dream she had been having before she woke up. It was about Van. He had held her closely, and whispered over and over again that he missed her, and begged her to come back. Hitomi rubbed her eyes, still feeling the reverberations of his sweet words in the core of her body. She was alone now.

Hitomi got up out of the bed and put her shoes on. She eagerly peered out the glass window into the hallway. The lights were still on.

Hitomi jumped as the door she was peering at swung open. "Ah, you're awake." Amano said softly, his face revealing a small, nearly unhappy smile. "Are you okay? Yukari and I were worried-," his voice dwindled as Yukari pushed past him to step in the room. Hitomi sat down abruptly.

"Why is it so late? How come no one took me home?" Hitomi asked immediately. Yukari looked at her quizzically, a weird emotion underlying what lay on top.

"Hitomi, it's still sunny out. School got out only about an hour ago." Yukari looked at her concernedly. "Look, the sunlight." She pointed to the window. Hitomi followed her arm and sank in on herself. The sun shown in brilliantly. She wondered why she had seen near darkness.

Amano pushed into the room and sat on the bed across from Hitomi, folding his hands onto the bed. He didn't look at Yukari. Yukari didn't look at him.

"So, why did you faint? What happened?" Amano and Yukari asked at the same time. They both cleared their throats and didn't look at each other.

Hitomi wasn't an idiot. "What's wrong? I'm fine. But you-,"

"Well, I'd better be going. Got lots of homework to do. I'll see you around Kanzaki." Amano interrupted in a bright voice that sounded forced. He left without a word to Yukari, leaving her staring sadly at the tiles on the floor.

"Yu-Yukari?" Hitomi choked out. Hitomi watched as Yukari seemed to fold in on herself. Her arms wrapped around her chest and her body started to shake in rasping sobs. Yukari's narrowed eyes dripped warm, fat tears that splattered on the ground with the force and sound of thunder. She looked so weak and alone. Hitomi didn't know what to do.

Slinging her arms around her best friend, Hitomi made a comforting "hush" noise, trying to keep the crying to a minimum. "Not here, Yukari. Stay at my house tonight. Come on. You'll get it all out. It's okay. I love you, alright?"

Yukari tried to laugh. "I guess so." The tears kept falling.

"Come on. Let's go."

* * *

In Hitomi's room, Yukari sat huddled up on the bed, her head laying on Hitomi's pillow. A comfortable blanket enveloped her body. She lay there, hugging her hands and arms to her chest and face, her eyes swollen and puffy. Hitomi sat on the desk chair, watching her friend with worried eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?" Hitomi asked gently. Yukari shook her head slowly. 

Hitomi sighed quietly and leaned back in her chair. She absentmindedly played with the lace on the cuff of her shirt sleeve, feeling the weight of her friend's deep depression plague her own heart. What could she do to make it better? There was nothing she could do, she couldn't think of anything to do for her best friend. And it bothered her. Why, when it mattered most, could she not seem to come up with anything helpful to say? Why couldn't she sound wise and loving? Yukari must think her a bad friend.

Yukari sat up a little, twisting the blanket around her and shivering. A trail of mascara flowed down her face, stopping at the line of her thin neck. "He just… he kissed me. And it felt all wrong, like he suddenly hated my guts. I could feel the intensity. I started crying, and his intensity went away." Yukari's eyes started up a fresh pour, and she hung her head in her arms, leaning against Hitomi's bedroom wall for support. Hitomi, sensing as a friend always does, got up and sat next to Yukari, slipping her arms around her.

"When did this happen?" Hitomi asked, feeling like a jerk for interrupting her friend with a stupid question.

Yukari took in a deep breath. "Right after school when we were waiting on you to wake up. It was in the empty hallway."

Hitomi nodded, giving her consent for Yukari to continue.

There was a long, pregnant pause. Then she went on. "He asked what was wrong, and dried my tears. I told him… I told him…" She started a breathing frenzy then, and gripped onto Hitomi like the Grim Reaper was coming after her. "Hitomi, I told him that he didn't care about me anymore, and he nodded. He looked so relieved, Hitomi… Was I that bad to him?"

The wave of sobs crashed onto Hitomi, but she stood firm, like a lighthouse with a shining beacon in a tough and evil storm. Yukari couldn't look up from the blanket, and Hitomi could feel a seeping wetness in her shoulder. Hitomi patted her back calmly, trying to soothe her. "No, Yukari. Amano… he just…" But Hitomi couldn't justify her friend and his crimes against her best friend, however much she wanted to. He was a willow tree, swayed easily by the wind, swayed easily by his own doubts and fears. Very much like Allen.

"Then he looked at me like I was something he felt sorry for." Yukari gulped. "That was the part I couldn't take. That he was feeling sorry for me, that he should be caring about my feelings. It wasn't right." Hitomi could only nod. "Why?" Yukari murmured, her sobbing dwindling to a slight weeping whisper.

"What happened after that?" Hitomi asked softly.

Yukari shrugged under the blanket. "He didn't say anything. I didn't either. We just sat and waited for you."

Hitomi looked at Yukari oddly. "So you didn't break up?"

Yukari laughed bitterly, sitting up and wiping at her tears. "Yes. We did. He had it written in his eyes. He's had it written there for a while. I was his kissing buddy." She said with venom in her voice. "He kept me around for pleasure."

Hitomi glared at the wall, telling herself she would never, ever forgive Amano again. Not in a thousand years. But she had to. She couldn't stay mad at her friends. But it was going to be hard on her, what with the way Yukari and Amano would be hating each other.

"Don't worry though, Hitomi. I'll try to still be his friend." Yukari put on her brave fact. "For you."

Hitomi looked at her in concern. "No. No you don't have to do that." As the time called for it, Hitomi leaned forward and gave her friend one great big hug.

Yukari smiled weakly. "I'm so pathetic."

Hitomi shook her head. "Don't ever say that. You are strong."

* * *

On Gaea, in a cave on the side of a valley wall in the country of Fanelia, sat a teenage girl saturated in blood, dressed in a purple robe who sported the longest hair on the planet. She hummed to herself, watching the leaves float from the trees in the gentle breeze. She stuck out her hand, first examining the dried blood there, then trying to touch the floating green speckles from her seat in the cave. Disappointed that she could not, she stood, wobbling on unused, tired feet. 

She took very few, gentle and clumsy steps toward the cave entrance, watching the leaves flow by in the light of the gleaming sun. She hobbled to the cave entrance, laughing delightedly at the sight of all of the trees. Some of them, she barely noticed, were mostly dead, tiny tendrils of smoke rising up off of the mangled trunks. They looked vaguely familiar.

The girl tried to step across the valley hillside and stumbled downward a short ways to catch herself on a tree. It was her hair she had tripped on. It trailed her body in a mass of sticky, bloody knots. She carefully gathered it up and tied most of it back with a scarlet ribbon she found on her wrist. The ribbon used to be white. Her hair now only _partly_ in the way, the girl started out again, up the valley wall. She was smiling gaily to herself, still humming that strange tune. She looked at this, touched that, and ate that then spit it back out again.

"You taste horrible." She'd cry, and then she'd put a bloodied hand up to her head and hold it there, stopping her position as if she felt faint. Eventually, her gaze rested by chance on a group of rugged stone markings on the hillside.

Crying out in a strangled manner, for once not joyed to see something so strange, the girl went as fast as she could over to the markings. She stopped in front of one with a jolt, staring at it with unease clearly painted in her greenish eyes.

"You don't deserve this from him." She said unexpectedly, throwing her whole entire weight against the stone, crashing with it to the earthen floor. She lay on the stone weakly, her face flushing a horrible blood red. She stood carefully, hiding her bloody hands in the long sleeves of her purple robe. Turning to the next stone, and the next and the next, the girl knocked them all completely over, growing weaker by the minute. There had to be about fifty or more stones, and she tore them all down, giggling at the last one's demise as she fell with it into the sooty earth.

The girl pushed herself up onto her elbows to stare at a slightly smoking carriage near the tombs. Her face ripped into a graceful and relieved grin. The girl forced herself to her feet with care, feeling the ribbon fall out of her hair. The wind ceased to blow in the trees, and killed all sound, killed all motion. The girl smiled triumphantly as she surveyed her recent work, the work of ripping down the memorial stones. Her smile turned sad as she surveyed the entire area, taking in the blood on the trees, the soot and smoke, the left over weapons, clothing, toys, food, utensils; her smile faded as she surveyed the blood in her clothes, on her body, satisfied in an almost animalistic way at the work she had done before this day, at the carnage she had caused.

"But I had to." She whispered, telling herself that she had a reason, no matter how she couldn't remember it. She had a perfectly wonderful reason for becoming a mass murderer.

The girl breathed in quickly and carefully, feeling highly dizzy. The world spun around her and she fell, out cold, onto the destructed tomb stones.

* * *

Hitomi glanced across the room at Amano, sure he had been avoiding her all day out of shame. The clock was ticking down, school was almost out. But no one was allowed to go home yet. They had to stay after to help with the festival booth, if they could decide on what they wanted to do anyway. Yukari had taken it into her power not to show up at school today; she couldn't do it. Hitomi understood. It was good to take a break every once in a while. 

Mr. Higurashi was sitting in the front of the class with a book in his hands, not paying attention to the class as they chatted out the last few minutes remaining. Hitomi wanted nothing more than to go over to Amano and try to get him to talk about it. In fact, she had to.

Hitomi stood from her seat uneasily, preparing to go and kneel before her friend to ask why he had dumped her best friend. It made her head hurt.

"Amano." Hitomi muttered as she approached his desk. She watched his hands tighten on his notebook. "I need to talk about this with you."

Amano sighed, running his hand through his hair in aggravation. "I don't want to. You'll just find a reason to be angry with me."

Hitomi flushed with annoyance. "Now, that isn't fair. I'm stuck in the middle and you don't seem to care. Do you think it's easy for me? To want to help Yukari, but also needing to be there for you? Good grief." Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Why did you do it?"

Amano swallowed hard, his eyes dead set on his notebook. "I don't love her."

Hitomi drew in a ragged breath. Something about the way he said it caused her to think that Amano disliked Yukari's friendship as well. That couldn't be. She nodded in a slight consenting way, her voice making a grunt of agreement. "Okay. Well then…" She didn't know what to say with him either. Her words were lost. Were she with Van, Hitomi would have found her words immediately, she would have catered to his emotions, causing him to fly high. A strong feeling came over her at the thought of Van. She remembered her dream in the nurses office. It had been of him.

"I don't want to drive her away though," He continued dryly, then added "as a friend anyway."

Hitomi nodded. "Okay. Thank-you" She smiled, unsure of what she was thanking him for. The bell rang suddenly, turning the sound level in the room to the max. Mr. Higurashi stood slowly, scratching his short, stubby beard.

"Well everyone. Take your seats. Has anyone come up with festival ideas?" Mr. Higurashi spoke to the class, yawning openly.

There were murmurs throughout as people sighed and complained that they hadn't had sufficient time to get proper things plotted out. Mr. Higurashi sighed, flipping a piece of chalk between his hands.

Amano raised his hand obediently. "We could always do food. People love food."

A girl on the side of the room whined. "Everyone's going to do food. We need something unique."

Mr. Higurashi nodded. "A good point, both of them."

Hitomi lay her head down on her desk. At the moment, she didn't feel like being involved in the festival committee.

"We could put on a play?" A shy boy in the front of the class said; like it was a question. Mr. Higurashi nodded once more.

"Good, good. Keep them coming. This is a brainstorm." Mr. Higurashi smiled.

Another girl in the front raised her hand. "I know. Why don't we have a fortune telling booth? Hitomi could read her cards for people!" A chorus of excited "Yeah"s went through the room and a stone plopped into Hitomi's stomach.

"No!" Hitomi cried out. "I can't! I don't read the cards anymore."

No one seemed to hear her strangled pleas.

"That would be so cool! We'd raise tons of money!" Another girl behind Hitomi spoke excitedly. "Oh, please do it, Hitomi! Think of England! The great United Kingdom!"

Hitomi rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. "No. I don't want to read my cards. It's tedious work." Hitomi tried to think of more excuses to feed them when Amano stood up in the classroom, sliding his hands into his pants pockets. He was the portrait of a young, handsome, model student. People listened to him.

"Why should we have to depend on Kanzaki? Huh? Let's make up our own crap fortunes! It would be much more fun that way!" Amano said with a small smile. The class began to murmur to themselves and one another. Hitomi looked at Amano with a happy smile, thanking him with her eyes. Amano smiled at her, the smile not reaching his eyes just yet, but almost there. Hitomi collapsed on her desk with a sigh.

"That's a great idea. That way everyone can be involved. Does anyone have an objection to a fortune booth?" Mr. Higurashi asked the class as he wrote the idea down on the chalk board. The class was silent. "Good. So, we'll need committees for certain things. First of all, the decoration committee?"

Hitomi stared out the classroom window as Mr. Higurashi proceeded to explain what the decoration committee would be in charge of. The clouds rolled by; little puffs of happiness. Hitomi vaguely recalled her thoughts of clouds as a child. They looked so substantial, so real. But they were only passing whims, mere fantasies. Jumping on a cloud was not physically possible. But flying through them was.

Van appeared in the classroom, his beautiful draconian wings extended.

"So, Hitomi. How is life on the Mystic Moon?" He asked her. He tenderly crouched down beside her, running a gloved finger across her forehead to free her eyes from her bangs. Hitomi gazed at him with longing, with near tears.

"You look so beautiful." She whispered to him. He cracked a smile and gave the slightest of blushes.

"Do I? Well, so do you."

Hitomi's heart skipped a beat, then proceeded to thump like crazy as Van pressed his warm, comforting lips to her own. It was very brief, almost as if there wasn't any contact at all. It was almost as if Hitomi had kissed a cloud. Her eyes closed as her spine tingled in an amazing way. When she opened them, Van was gone.

There, instead, were the insubstantial clouds, the untouchable dreams.

"Who would like to be on the decoration committee?" Mr. Higurashi asked, bringing Hitomi down to earth. Hitomi raised her hand without looking up.

"Merumi, Takahata, you too, Hoshina? And Kanzaki." Mr. Higurashi's words were followed by squeaks on the chalkboard.

Hitomi sat up in her chair, suddenly aware that Amano was watching her. Hitomi remembered the way he had spoken as if he didn't love Yukari, and his eyes had echoed that thought. Her flesh cooled quickly at the look in his eyes now. He loved her, to the point of over protective yearning. She could see it. Only, it wasn't the sort of love she was afraid of. For some reason, he was communicating to her now that he would never let anything happen to her, as her very own brother. Nothing was weird about it, Hitomi loved him too. She never wanted anything to happen to him either.

Hitomi sighed as he smiled at her. "_Oh, Amano.__ Why did you hurt Yukari?"_

Amano turned around after telling Hitomi with his eyes that he had her back in England. She would be okay.

If only he knew that Hitomi wasn't worried about that. She slightly feared for her sanity. Van appearing in the classroom like that? Whispering such wonderful things to her… she felt an obligation to think about him constantly, even though it hurt. Was she going mad?

"No." She heard a chuckle to her left. Hitomi turned to see him there again, his arms opened wide for her to seek shelter in them.

Hitomi felt a moistness in her eyes. " I told you good-bye Van." She whispered to him. "Go away!"

Just as she thought he would, Van ignored her rude comments with a large, sexy smile. He wasn't real. The real Van would have taken immediate offense to her words. He wasn't her Van.

Hitomi waved her hand and he was gone. She laughed inwardly at herself. Yukari wasn't the pathetic one.

After school, Hitomi went straight home, not bothering to go to the café with some school friends. She didn't even get on her homework. She went straight to bed, not pausing to say hello to her little brother who had just come home from school as well.

The blankets invited her in warmly. Lying there, it was easy to pretend that she was with the real Van. She could say anything she wanted to say and get away with it. Her eyes filled with a stinging feeling, the tears all gone and shed for once.

"Oh, Van." She whispered to the late afternoon air.

* * *

Allen held his arm over his stomach and used his free hand to wipe the mess off of his lips. He stood outside his tent, leaning against a tree, his vomit lying near a small shrub at his feet. He felt horrible, his eyes were droopy, his forehead gleamed with sweat, and he was hot all over, as if he had a fever. He wore only a pair of black pants and a loose fitting, white shirt. He closed his eyes swiftly and concentrated on feeling better. 

Allen hadn't been drunk since his father left him and his family.

Cursing himself over and over, Allen held his composure as a fresh batch of puke threatened to explode out of his body. He leaned weakly against the tree, glad that no one was up to see him in this weakened state.

No one except for Princess Millerna who stood across from him now with a small look of surprise painted on her perfect lips. She was dressed for the cool morning weather, her dark purple cloak tied about her comfortably. Her blonde wavy hair hung about her, and her head band glistened in the sparse mixture of sun and moonlight.

Allen's eyes narrowed as he turned to face the tree that was propping his body up from the ground. He couldn't help himself anymore, and retched all over the poor shrub, his eyes wincing shut at the nasty taste in his mouth. Taking a few moments to breathe and steady himself, Allen glanced over at Millerna.

She stood there, same as when she had arrived only moments before, that same look of surprise arched into her lips and eyes. She cocked her head at him, as if she couldn't understand him, and Allen had to look away, feeling shame.

"What have you done, Allen?" She asked, a slight hysteria creeping into her voice.

Allen avoided her gaze, knowing his own was full of loathing. How dare she come to mock at him in his sickness? He was too proud of a man to show weakness, and here she was, goading him.

"Were you drinking last night?" She took a step closer.

Allen held out one of his arms, the one that wasn't cradling his tender stomach. "Don't come any closer, Princess."

Millerna stepped back. "Better? And it's Millerna."

Allen snorted, then leaned against the tree once more. "What? Have you come to force me up out of bed, to make me serve you more?" His tone was venomous.

Millerna appeared hurt. "No… I…." She mumbled the rest.

"What?" Allen demanded rudely.

"I came to apologize to you… for being rude to you. But I guess I'll just go." Millerna turned on her heels, trying not to cry. _"__That jerk__! I come to be nice to him and he turns me away! I hate him!"_

Allen winced as he tried to follow her, feeling a sudden nausea come over him at the motion. "Wait."

Millerna stopped, turning to watch him breathe slowly. "What happened to you, Allen?" She wanted to say, she wanted to bring every single thing out of him. She wanted to force him to confide in her, because she knew he wasn't confiding in anyone. It wasn't healthy. But something had happened to him. He wasn't the same.

They both looked at Allen's tent as someone walked out of it. It was a woman, a common woman wearing common clothing, her traits all common. Millerna knew it might be conceited, but she was much more beautiful than her. Her body was exceptional, but that was it. Plain brown hair, no flair to it at all. Her eyes were boring, with no emotion or soul in them.

"Who are you?" Millerna asked the woman, her eyes narrowing at her. "Allen, I don't believe I gave you or any of the men permission to keep pleasurable company while you are in my charge." She turned to Allen, her eyes full of nasty flame.

Allen rolled his eyes. "Millerna, she isn't like that. I just… really lo… like her is all. She's just-," He broke off, putting a shaky hand to his forehead.

"My name is Sherza, your majesty. I'm Allen's lover." Sherza smiled crazily and curtsied with clumsy delicacy.

Allen looked hard at Sherza at the word "lover". "She uses the term loosely." Millerna looked at Allen, sighing greatly at the sight of the bandage she had placed on his neck a few days ago.

"Good morning, Allen Schezar." Millerna turned around again. Allen watched her leave, a feeling of dread growing inside of his heart.

Sherza took one look at Allen's messy pile on the shrub and turned green. "Ew. Hung over eh?"

Allen nodded, then turned back to the tree. He was silent for a while as he watched the blades of grass at his feet blow tenderly in the wind. "Sherza?"

"Yes?" Sherza looked at him, not wanting to get close because of the smell of the shrub.

Allen stood up tall and looked her in the face. "I know you don't have anywhere to go."

Sherza's face fell. What was he going to say?

"I just… I don't think I can deal with you right now." Allen said quietly, avoiding looking at the lonely girl. "I'm sorry. But, I don't need you anymore."

Sherza's hands dropped to her sides. She couldn't believe it. She had nowhere else to go. What would she do?

"I-I'll give you some money to get you by, okay?" Allen said softly. He dared a glance at Sherza.

She was crying. "I don't need your money, Allen."

Allen nodded, his face emotionless. "Okay. So, I'll see you around?"

Sherza shook her head. "No. You won't."

* * *

_Ever since Sherza was a little girl, she had been alone. She had grown up without anyone, being an orphan in a lonely orphanage in Zaibach. Her parents had both been killed by thieves. They were not supposed to die.__ Sherza was__ left by herself with no one__ to turn to. When aged to__ sixteen, the orphanage __threw__ her out on the streets, having no other use for her._

_Sherza had needed a job. She tried and tried to get one, remembering the way her mom always used to dress up for an interview before she'd go out an__d__ apply, before she was brutally murdered.__ Sherza wanted to be that way, but she had no clothing. She had nothing._

_It was, standing on the side of the road one day begging for money, that she gained her new profession. A man walked by and tossed a large sum of money into her can. He looked down at her, and she smiled at him. "Come on." He'd told her. "Come with me."_

_She had asked him why, and he had told her. She couldn't believe it. He really expected her to perform such a disgusting act for him in order to live. Feeling no choice but to obey the man, for her growling stomach, Sherza followed him home and earned her money. From that day on, that was how she lived._

_One day, Sherza decided to move into a less populated area of town. There, she fell in love. He was a strong boy, young, like her, and hard working. He worked for his father's family owned business. He soon discovered her feelings, and regardless of the rumors that followed her, he went with her, following her out of the country through scarcely used roads and hidden passageways. They left together, but the Father soon came after the boy, urging him to come home. Sherza lost the only person she actually felt like she could depend on._

_Alone again, she travelled weakly, earning money the only way she knew how as she went. Then she met Allen. She couldn't describe the way he made her __feel,__ what with the way he always treated her like the only woman on earth. She had needed him and his kind words. He made her feel loved, and for once she didn't have to sell herself any longer._

_Now he had dumped her cold hard in the dirt, and turned her out._

_But no matter, he had to deal with himself before he could actually love another, and it wasn't to be her anyway. Sherza tried not to have hard feelings as she took up her usual work. At least he had loved her, just like her other boy had._

Hitomi woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering. "What a sad story." She whispered to her ceiling fan as it made it's quick rotations around the light. "But Allen, Allen couldn't have been that harsh."

Waking up from a dream that had not involved Van, and had involved a girl she had never heard of until now, made Hitomi's head spin. Why? What was the point of it?

Hitomi knew that Allen would have to be pretty down to treat a woman like he had treated Sherza when he told her good-bye. She suddenly worried about him, wondering if the dream was significant.

Hitomi sat up and took off her skirt, then followed suit with her shirt. They hit the ground with soft noises, and she wrapped herself in a towel to walk down the hallway of her house to her bathroom. She would take a shower, hopefully to clease herself of the unease she felt. Everything would be okay.

* * *

**Well. That's chapter four. I promise... they will get better. This chapter was really tough to write because of all of the sour things that were going on. When the story gets happy, it will be better! Allen is really annoying me, what about you? He's just going through alot... and next chapter will explain more, hopefully. I want to introduce Selena again, if possible. But I never know what I'm going to do until it flows out of my laptop, so... It will be a productive chapter though. Thank-you for reading! Please regard me kindly!!!**

**allensXoneXfiancee**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here it is... so much sooner than last time. I enjoyed writing this chapter much more than I did chapter four. It was fun. I'm excited now. And I have been watching a ton of Romeo X Juliet, so I want to start putting something romantic in here... but I can't yet! I will though... I will. Thank-you for sticking with my crazy story! I appreciate you all very much! Especially those who have been there from the very beginning! Enjoy Chapter Five! And Odelia isn't really that important... unless i decide to make her so later on. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter! **

* * *

Chapter Five

Odelia hummed to herself as she made her merry way up the valley side. The sun was shining down gaily, causing her cheeks to warm brilliantly. All around her, women were laughing and giggling, gossiping about the latest topic in town; Lord Van had taken an apparent liking to the Princess of Asturia. All of the women's husbands had come home one night prior to this one and explained that Lord Van had taken Princess Millerna by the arm and escorted her from the room to be in privacy. One man claimed to have followed them and caught them in an almost desperate act of lovemaking.

Odelia rolled her eyes at the useless chatter. Gossiping was not her specialty, in fact it made her downright sick in the stomach. She doubted that Lord Van would ever be caught in a desperate anything!

"Ladies. Can we focus at the topic at hand, please?" Odelia smiled sarcastically at the women marching slowly behind her, all of them carrying long, flat baskets in their arms. "We were sent up here to gather fire wood. We're running low in the camp because of all the limber it takes to rebuild our homes."

The women smiled at her. "Grumpy old, Odelia!" She smiled, shaking her long, gorgeous locks of blonde hair out of her face. Her smile was perfect and pretty, her eyes devoid of wrinkles.

Odelia frowned at the thought of her eighty year old body. "_So what?__ I've lived a good life! __Stupid young ones."_Odelia laughed to herself inside.

The girls went right on gossiping, their scandalous impressions of the young, hot couple of Fanelia getting worse, if that were at all possible.

"I hear that he already proposed!" One girl giggled.

"I hear that Millerna is with… is with child!" One shy girl blushed crazily as she spoke.

"If she is… it could be anybody's. I hear she was married to a merchant, Dryden Fassa, I believe. It could be his."

One girl giggled louder than the rest. "No, I think it's that gorgeous Knights, Allen Schezar. Can you see the way they look at each other?"

Another girl gasped audibly. "Princess Millerna is cheating on King Van… ALREADY?"

Odelia rolled her eyes again, sighing heavily. "And thus… this is how people get hurt and rumors start."

"No. Allen hates her. There's no way they could be in love."

"I heard that it was Allen and Van who were…"

"Shut-up!!!" Odelia whipped around on her younger counterparts. She drew the line at rumors calling her King gay. "You are insulting our great King. Lord Van is not some hunky bard, okay?! Why don't you go find yourself a nice young man who ISN'T our precious royalty to pick on?! The rumors are not true!" Odelia found herself breathing hard, and she put a hand to her heart to try and steady it's pace. She was too old to take care of these floundering girls.

The girls gaped at her with mouths open like fish out of water. "Sorry." A couple of them murmured, most of them with twinkling smiles in their eyes.

One of the girls gasped softly. "Odelia? Why are the trees all burnt? What happened?"

Odelia looked around her and clucked like a sitting hen. "This must be the explosion the men looked after the other night."

"Who could be responsible for such a gruesome thing?" One of the girls asked meekly.

Odelia shrugged. "It doesn't matter. They're dead now. We're safe girls. Don't worry."

Odelia led the way up the valley side once more, smiling to herself at the silence that had seemed to fall over the girls at the mention of sinister and mysterious things. Silence was golden.

One of the girls suddenly screamed. "Odelia!!! Odelia save us! There's a thing! It's- It's coming this way… it's a girl!"

Odelia whipped around to face the girl, then followed her eyes gaze into the trees on the girls right. Stumbling toward them was something in the shape of a human, but it was entirely red from head to foot. The clothing it wore was a darker shade of red, but it's face was covered in caked blood it seemed. The things tripped over a tree root and went flying face first into the dirt.

Some of the girls in Odelia's company covered their mouths, tears coming to their eyes. "She reeks of rotting blood. Get her away from here Odelia!"

"Run!!!" Another girl shouted and some of the girls broke away.

"STOP!!!" Odelia shouted; the sound reverberated through the woods with such force that some of the girls whimpered and covered their ears as they ceased their escape. "What if she's a survivor?"

"What if she killed them all? She consumed their flesh! Look at that blood!" A girl said in a small voice, her whole body trembling.

"Her hair is so long. It's strange." A girl whispered in awe.

"Why isn't she moving, Odelia?"

Odelia shrugged, her hand tightening around the handles of her long, flat basket. "I don't know, girls. But I'm going to find out."

The girls whimpered in scared tones. "No!" they cried, yelling out pleas for Odelia to not be stupid, that they loved her and didn't wish her death. Odelia shook her head slowly.

"It's better me than one of you lovely ladies." Odelia took a step forward toward the heap of dried blood on the forest floor. It didn't move at all, it didn't even appear to be breathing. Odelia approached with extreme care, setting her feet on the ground with the lightest of movements, hoping in an insane way not the wake the creature on the ground just feet from her.

She was there sooner than anticipated. Odelia stared down at the auburn hair, marveling briefly at the enormous length it was at. "H-h-hello?" she asked it nervously, feeling a sudden sinking thought that she might be speaking to a corpse. There was no response.

She realized she would have to turn the corpse over.

Odelia bent down at her knees, feeling the joints crick and hearing it too. "_Please don't wake up and kill me."_ She prayed silently, gritting her teeth. With one forceful push, she had the body rolled over. She sighed with relief.

Odelia realized, no matter how scary this girl had looked earlier, that she was not going to eat them. She was just a sick girl. Her face was sweating profusely, sending all of the dried blood down to her neckline. In the spaces of bloodlessness on her cheeks, Odelia could see them flushed with fever. Odelia could almost feel the heat rising off of this girls body.

Careful not to wake the sick girl, Odelia reached up to her shoulders, took her maroon shawl, and wrapped it around the girl's body. She didn't stir at all, but just lay there on the ground, burning up.

"Girls, help me." Odelia said quickly, motioning for them all to come near. They stepped back from Odelia, protesting loudly and whining.

"She's dangerous!" A girl squealed.

Odelia shook her head and snapped back. "No she isn't, now get over here. I think she's a survivor."

The girls slowly approached, their hands festering in front of them. Odelia sat the girl on the ground into a sitting position. Her eyelids fluttered softly and her head lolled, but she stayed asleep.

"We are going to have to carry her."

* * *

Lord Van, King of Fanelia paced in his room. Something about today was off, something inside of his heart wouldn't let him rest. He tried to think of Hitomi, and he felt emotionless. Like… almost like she wasn't ever in his memory. Then he'd take the pink pendant in his hand and it would all flood back to him. He didn't understand it.

The entrance flaps to his tent blew in the gentle breeze of the beautiful day, and he went quickly over to them to latch them shut, so his guards would not see him in this state. But someone was standing at the entrance. It was Schezar.

Van eyed Allen carefully, not sure what to expect.

"May I come in?" Allen asked softly, his hands resting lightly on his sword hilt.

Van nodded.

Allen went into the room and sat on a trunk, spreading his legs out ahead of his body. "Something's happening in the center of the city." He said matter-of-factly. Van sighed and latched the tent shut.

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to remain calm.

Allen rubbed his lips together thoughtfully. "They found a girl on the valley side. She's under a heavy sleep, and will not wake. Apparently she is very sick with fever as well. They told me to come fetch you."

Van took off his heavy leather gloves and flexed his hands. "They cannot interrogate her, can they?"

"I said she was asleep, didn't I?" Allen chuckled.

Van scowled. "What does she look like? Does she look dangerous?"

Allen smiled. "No. She doesn't look dangerous. Her build is small. Her hair is auburn… or was once it was washed. It more than doubles her body length."

Van's eyebrows creased in sudden concern. "How old does she look?"

Allen shrugged. "I'd say about fifteen."

Van crossed to the mirror set up in the corner of his tent. He had to sidestep one of Merle's little cat toys on the way. "How could her hair have grown that much in such a short amount of life?"

Allen smiled. "Good point." Van was silent as he ran a rough comb carved from dragon bone through his thick, wild hair. "Aren't you going to go and see her?"

Van ignored Allen and slung a shirt of metal over his shoulders. "Yes. I'm just afraid. She probably has mystic powers."

Allen nodded. "Very good assumption."

Van turned to face Allen. His face was emotionless. "Allen."

"Yes, Van?" Allen asked quietly.

Van was thoughtful for a moment. "Never get drunk in my country again."

Allen flushed with embarrassment. "Who told you?"

Van started to leave the tent. "Princess Millerna. She was here earlier."

Allen rolled his eyes. "Why was she here?" Allen hid his detestation extremely well for a man just humiliated.

Van shrugged. "She just dropped by." He unlatched the tent with swiftly moving fingers. Allen stood violently.

"What did you do?" He asked quietly, his hands on his sword hilt just a tad tighter than was necessary.

Van gave a half smile. "The entire time she was here with me," Van paused dramatically. "She was whining about what a pathetic fool you were. I've almost decided to write to the King of Asturia, begging him to replace you." Van left with the icy words hanging in the warm air.

Allen sat back down on the trunk with a large sigh. "_Princess Millerna is too high maintenance." _He thought, his eyebrows creased in annoyance.

He couldn't stay there in Van's tent all alone, so he excited as well, making a beeline for the part of the forest that held his leviship. He went through the trees, feeling the breeze and sunshine on his hair and face. It was refreshing after the headaches and vomiting. A sharp cry echoed above him as Natal, his pet owl, and friend. Natal screeched as he landed with the grace only a feathered friend could have on Allen's outstretched arm.

"Hello, Natal. Did you have a fun couple of days hunting? I did worry over you." Allen spoke fondly to the owl as he picked at his beak with a weathered claw. For one brief second, Allen's face lit up in a smile, a real, genuine smile. Then, like fire in the rain, it was snuffed out again, gone, lost in his closet of skeletons.

"You are a beautiful owl. Don't ever forget that." Allen sighed, then moved onward, holding his arm out steady so that Natal would not become unsettled. The leviship was in view then.

"Are you coming in with me?" Allen asked the bird softly. There was a twitter in response before Natal took off again. "I don't blame you." He whispered as he watched his friend disappear into the clear blue sky.

At the leviship, Allen wasn't surprised to find that his men were all gone. The girl in town was making such a fuss with all of the people. It was strange to Allen, but Van hadn't seemed to care. His eyes had seemed empty and almost angry. He couldn't even begin to put his finger on it.

Allen entered the leviship with a sinking feeling. There was the door at the end of the long hallway. "_Please let this be a good day."_ He thought desperately. "_I need a good day."_

He stepped back in surprise as a face came into his mind, a strangely comforting face. It was the face of Hitomi. "_Allen." _Hitomi sighed. "_This isn't the Allen I know. Show me what you've got."_

And like that Hitomi was gone. But he felt better.

Taking a step toward his little sister's living quarters, he reached a hand up to his neck and slowly ripped the bandage away. It was time to let it heal on it's own.

The door fell open with a slight creak, and Allen's eyes met the eyes of his younger sister's. Seconds passed, then minutes, then hours, and it seemed like days before she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, Allen." She whispered. Her voice was hoarse from screaming. Screaming that no one had heard.

Allen watched as fat, glistening tears rolled down Selena's pale cheeks. She threw herself forward in her chair, her bondages holding her back. "I'm so sorry!" She sobbed. "Don't leave me again. Please! I didn't mean it… it wasn't me!"

Allen shut the door behind him, nodding. "I know, Selena."

Selena squinted her eyes shut to drive away the itching that burned there. "What is wrong with me? Am I sick? Why do you keep me locked up in a chair?"

Allen pulled another chair from a darkened corner and sat a considerable distance from his little sister, his posture alert and strong. "You wouldn't understand. It would confuse you."

Selena opened her eyes to peer at Allen, her face swollen red, her eyes puffy. "Tell me anyway. What am I?"

Allen sighed, trying to keep his composure. Whenever he thought about Zaibach, his sister, Dilandau… he got angry. It was hard for him to stay calm, be he fought his anger, he fought it well.

"Emperor Dornkirk stole you from us when you were very little." Allen gave in, watching his little sister's expression very closely. "He and his men experimented on you… like you were some test animal." His hands balled into tight fists on his pant legs. "They gave you an alter-ego… if you would call it that. His name is Dilandau, he is a man, and he loves to kill."

A fat silence followed his words. Not a shuffle of the floorboards or a sob from Selena interrupted this quiet bliss. The quiet was maddening.

"So I am- I am-," Selena couldn't speak; her tears dried up immediately. "How do I stop it?" She demanded, her voice going slightly hysterical.

Allen shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Selena. I've been trying. But you-," He broke off, his throat constricting.

"But I attack you." Selena finished for her brother.

Allen nodded.

"Is that why I'm tied down in this chair?" Selena asked softly, her short hair hanging in her face. Allen looked on her in sympathy.

"Yes, my sister. I don't wish to tie you up, but I-,"

Selena interrupted him. "I understand, brother. It's okay. I wouldn't want to hurt you again." She looked at the bite mark on his neck, which was only just now beginning to scab over. "I'm so sorry."

Allen cleared his throat. "You are not the one to be sorry. You did not choose this. The one's who did have paid the price. You are free now." Allen stood and dared to cross the long distance between himself and his sister. He bravely planted a soft kiss on her head. "Very soon." He whispered to her. "Very soon you will be yourself again. I love you." He smiled, then went for the door.

Selena choked out a sob again. "Allen, I love you too!"

Allen turned to see her face, frowning at the fear he saw in her eyes, fear of being left alone.

"Gadeth will bring you some food. He is the only other crew member who knows about you. Treat him fairly, please. Not even Princess Millerna knows…" Allen opened the door.

"Princess Millerna? Who is she?" Selena asked quietly. "You've never mentioned her."

Allen gave a small smile. "She's… she's a friend." He said softly, then turned and left the room. He sighed greatly, feeling the burden lift from his chest. "_Thank-you for letting today __be_

* * *

Van stepped through the crowd like a lion before a flock of sheep. Everyone scattered from him and bowed, as if they were all guilty of things. "_Maybe it's all the rumors you are harboring against me." _Van thought with well-given sarcasm. He sighed as he reached the blood-red tent that was his destination. Once again, his sword was hanging at his belt. How he hated to carry it with him in a time of peace.

The tent flaps opened at a mere gesture with his hands. He peered inside tentatively before stepping into it with great unease and care. It was dark inside, but for a single candle burning next to a bedside. Next to the bed was Odelia, a hand maiden who always assisted in the caring of the royal family members illnesses. She was the woman who had helped Van's mother given birth. She was very important to him, and he would trust whatever she said. Van was glad she was here.

"Odelia, come." He spoke after clearing his throat.

Odelia whipped around and threw a withered hand to her throat. "Lord Van, I did not hear you come in. These old ears of mine NEVER hear anymore!"

Van smiled lightly as Odelia joined his side. "Just keep that cloth on her forehead for me, Jerne. Thank-you." Odelia said to a girl in the shadows. The girl accepted the cloth and crept up to the girl like she was infested with a plague. Turning to Van, Odelia said, "So, Lord Van. How can I help you this evening?"

Van was watching the sleeping girl with a growing sense of unease in his stomach. She was lying there, her lips parted as she barely breathed, her face flushed with fever. Her hair was lying off of the end of the bed, long and glistening, a beautiful auburn color. It ended in a soft pile on the floor at the head board. Van marveled at its length.

The girl's face was familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before. It was a mystery to him.

"Lord Van?" Odelia paused to stare at Van in concern.

"Oh, yes." Van brought his attention back to the older woman standing at his side. "I have a few questions. It is said that this woman was found at the same spot that we buried the survivors?"

Odelia nodded, to confirm.

"Right. And you believe that she was alone?" Van asked another question, trying to keep his gaze off of the stranger in his country.

"Not one other person was there sir. I'd bet my life on it." Odelia said happily.

Van gazed at her crooked smile half-heartedly. "Do you think she is dangerous?" Van asked slowly, his gaze finally breaking back to the sick woman in the bed.

Odelia shook her head, but Van wasn't looking. "No, Lord Van. She is like an innocent little girl. She awoke a while ago. But she did not know her own name nor where she came from. She only knew to ask us for a cup of water."

Van looked back at Odelia, his eyes opened in surprise. "Innocent? Are you sure?"

Odelia smiled. "Go and see her, Lord Van. Before she dies."

Van gasped, then whipped his head around to watch the girl. "Dies? What do you mean?"

Odelia shook her head and sighed sadly. "I'm afraid the fever is killing her, my Lord. There isn't much more I can do."

Van nodded. "Alright. I will see her."

Odelia called to the girl attending the one in the bed and they both left the tent. Van felt awkward for some unknown reason as he approached the bed. He sat on the side and gazed down at the girl with little emotion. He marveled at the shiny, beet red look on her cheeks, and wondered if she was in much pain. He wondered unendingly how she had ended up in the forest.

Van stood quickly as he felt a sudden dislike to the girl. He couldn't understand it, the way he was glaring now at her sleeping form. He didn't understand why he suddenly wanted to slap her and get her away from him. But under it all, he felt a severe drawing pull… some unknown force sucking him to her, telling him to take her in his arms.

Van blushed fully as he crossed his arms in annoyance and anger. "What is with you, Van?" He hissed, becoming much more embarrassed that he had talked to himself. He looked away from the girl, setting his sights on a fresh basin of water.

The girl groaned and rustled under the sheets. Van looked at her reluctantly. Her forehead was covered in a fresh sheen of sweat. He sighed, then stuck his course hands into the basin and pulled out a soft rag and rung it out. Being very gentle, and very annoyed, Van sponged the girls head, then lay the rag across her head to keep her cooler.

Van smiled bitterly, then went to the tent entrance and left through it, not pausing to speak to Odelia or any of the townspeople. His hands kept opening and closing, like he didn't know what to do with them. His fingertips burned from where his flesh had gently caressed her own.

* * *

Allen snuck through the trees, unwilling to think of what Van would say if he caught him here. Not that he would say much, but he would say it none the less. A leaf cracked under his heavy boot and he jumped, then looked around himself sheepishly, not understanding his own fear.

Allen reached his destination and stopped, not knowing what to do with himself. Before him lay his greatest mentor and his stand-in father; he was at the grave of the great Balgus, and he didn't know what to do.

The head stone was ornately carved, bought by King Van in order to make the memory of Balgus much more impressing. Allen missed him, everyone missed him. And now that he was here, Allen couldn't remember what he had come to say.

Allen started by getting down on his knees, allowing his hands to sink into the soft grass. He sat hunched over, his face concealed by his long blonde hair. The smell of the incense burning on Balgus's head stone burned in his nostrils, and he could no longer conceal his tears.

They were not like any ordinary tears; they were small, and each was filled with a small prayer. Allen watched each and every one of them plop onto the spot where his dear mentor lay in the earth. He couldn't help it; Allen cried out.

"Balgus! Why are you not here… not here when I need you more than ever!" His words rang into the trees around him and his deceased friend. Allen choked on his saliva and coughed, then fell face first into the grass. "I have been such a coward lately. I am nothing like the man you helped me become."

"I am not that man anymore." Allen said weakly, his chest heaving with his every breath. The smell of warm earth was in his lungs as he pressed himself further into the ground, almost as if he could follow Balgus to wherever he had gone. He wanted to, oh how Allen wanted to.

"I need- I can't do this anymore. I have sunk low, and I can't deal with my own problems." Allen stumbled on and on with his words, even though he knew he didn't have to. "I am a coward."

The night air was calm and cool, and nothing sang or made delightful noise in the wake of the poor man's sobs. The grave seemed to come alive, the grey stone pounding out a rhythm to the night. Allen lay on the grass, his crying slowing, his sobs becoming more like gasps of air.

"I will change again. For you." Allen growled to the air, growled to his mentor. "You are ashamed and so am I, so now I will do something about it."

The grave stone seemed to glisten in the moonlight at the Knights words. It seemed to say, "I knew you would come around."

Allen stood, then smiled at Balgus', knowing that the old man was watching him from wherever he was. Balgus was watching Van, as well, and he was watching everyone else who had ever mattered to him. Balgus was able to take pride in all that he had stood for, and in the fact that Van and Allen were going to do things right.

Allen walked away from the grave, his soul feeling light and free. He had to speak to Millerna.

* * *

Merle smiled deviously at the entrance of the tent where they kept the strange girl with the fever. She had wanted to get in there all day, and now no one was going to stop her.

In her little sheep skin pouch she had hidden a variety of tools that may help her on her mischievous journey into the things Lord Van told her not to bother with. She had a rope, a very sharp dagger, a small horn, and some smoke bombs. Luckily for her though, it didn't seem like she would need any of that stuff. The guards at the door were practically asleep, and Odelia had gone home for the night. No one else was inside, no one but the girl.

Merle snuck around the side of the tent, careful to stay out of the sight of the guards. She managed to reach the back of the tent, then lifted the flap to duck under it stealthily. It was a low fit, since the tent pegs were practically choking the flaps to the ground, but Merle was flexible and she made it. Inside the tent, Merle had to adjust her eyes before she could see where she was. There was no light whatsoever once inside.

Luckily, Merle was a cat, and could see very well in the dark. She soon found the bed.

Merle jumped onto the bed with great force, wondering if the girl would wake up or not. The answer was no. Merle leaned over the girl, her nose just inches from hers. Still, there was no movement. Merle smiled crazily.

"You have a fever. I can feel it coming off of you like the sun radiates!" She said smartly, crossing her arms around her. Then something caught her eye. Merle cooed in awe.

"Ah, I get it. You're just hot." Merle dug around in her sheep skin pouch and pulled out the dagger. "I'll help you."

The room became silent once more as Merle went to work. A thick strand of hair fell to the ground with a soft whoosh. Merle giggled. "Hair makes you hot. You need to get rid of all of this." More of the girls hair hit the floor, and Merle kept going.

Merle sat back, satisfied with the short and stubby array of hair at the girls shoulders. "Is that better?"

The fever had not gone.

Merle growled. "I told you to get better!" She whined, then froze. There was something about the girl that whispered to her, something about her that made her next decision for her.

Most of the girls hair hit the floor with another swoosh, and Merle sat back in awe, her voice gone for once. "Why… you look just like Hitomi! Just wait until Lord Van sees you!"

The girls eyes fluttered open. "Who's Van? Who're you?"

* * *

**Well, this is the end of Chapter Five, and here comes the part where you all start guessing what is going on and some of you throw pitchforks at me... Kidding. I hope that you would not do that. But no matter, the story gets better from here on out. I am particularly excited to write it! Yay! So, as always, thank-you readers! Please regard me kindly!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been so busy!!! But this chapter is very long to make up for it!!! Longest I've done yet... I'm so sorry!!! I'm in college now... and I barely have the time to write... I am trying to write though... and I will finish this story... unless something fatal happens!!! So sorry... I wouldn't blame anyone if noone reads this chapter... sorry... poo... I feel bad now... enjoy... **

* * *

Chapter Six

Hitomi Kanzaki smiled at her surroundings, taking in the scenery, the sight of Van curled up at her ankles. He kissed one of them softly, running his smooth hands, covered in scars from years of hard battle and living, over her calf. The skirt of her dress was a silky satin, and it flowed with a certain grace in the soft wind. Hitomi slid slowly down the length of the tree, placing her small hand over Van's eyes in a jest. "I can't have you peeking up my skirt... I didn't marry a pervert." She giggled.

Van laughed and moved her hand away. "Like I haven't seen it all before."

"Behave yourself. You are a King." She scolded softly.

Van rolled over onto his elbows. "Yes. And I have taken my Queen to a private field for a private, enjoyable day. We, my dear, are completely alone."

Hitomi raised one challenging eyebrow. "Really? Alone, are we?" She whistled out once and smiled in triumph as a troupe of Fanelian soldiers exited the trees. Hitomi leaned down over Van's head, her long hair brushing his face like the gossamer wings of an angel. "You cannot fool me, love."

Van gave her a wide grin. "It seems I cannot."

Time slowed as Hitomi watched Van sit up with extreme grace and ease. His long, heavily muscled arm found her waist and he pulled her close. Hitomi could not help blushing as his lips trailed her jaw line ever so tenderly. Her small hands curled up on his bare chest as she tried to keep her control.

"Van…" she hissed playfully. "We aren't alone!" she protested.

Van continued down her neck, his hands tracing her spine. "I don't care."

He sounded like he meant it.

Hitomi sighed, half out of annoyance and half pleasure, as he found her lips with his own. She couldn't help it. Her hands snaked their way into his wild hair, knotting the silky strands with her soft fingers. He chuckled against her lips, blowing his sweet breath across her face.

"You have a weak will, Hitomi." He jested, detaching himself from her.

She blushed harder. "It isn't my fault that you're wonderful." She said so quietly, it was barely audible.

Van laughed again. "Wonderful? That's great to know."

* * *

Hitomi sat in class, her eyelids drooping. Her dream last night had been wonderful. Sadly, it had to end when she awoke in the morning, and she couldn't go back to sleep after it.

"Van…" she mumbled, staring without feeling at the chalk board ahead of her. The class was making such a ruckus, they were all going around, trying to make up phony, yet believable ways to have a fortune telling booth.

"Should we read tarot cards like Hitomi used to?" A girl in pink tennis shoes asked excitedly. "I'd love to learn!"

A boy scoffed at her. "We can't learn to do that in a couple of days. Are you kidding? I say we just have a phony crystal ball and have someone dressed up as a mystic. Then we can have some crap fortune."

"It's got to be believable to people." Amano chimed in. "We can't have crap. Or else we won't get any service."

"I know!" A girl said happily as she flung herself over to Amano's desk. Having heard the news of Yukari and Amano's break up, every single girl in the school was all over him. "My cousin who lives in America has a friend who invented a sort of fortunetelling game using a simple deck of playing cards!"

"Is that so?" Amano asked her, an eyebrow raised. Hitomi rolled her eyes.

"Yeah!" The girl perched on the edge of his desk and started talking animatedly. "It predicts who you will date and marry, while giving you the particulars of the life with that person." (see authors note at bottom of page)

"That sounds neat, I guess." Said the girl in the pink shoes.

"I like it!" Amano smiled.

"I guess we could go with it." Said some other kids.

"Sounds alright. How do you do it?"

Hitomi glanced out the window again as the class began discussing the fortune booth. The trees swayed in the wind.

"Have you packed for England yet?" Amano' s voice assaulted her from behind. Hitomi turned to face him.

"Partially. You?" Hitomi said half-heartedly.

"Completely finished. After all, we do leave in a week." Amano smiled.

"That doesn't mean that I have to be packed now." Hitomi grumbled.

"I'm packed." Said a sweet and innocent voice. Hitomi turned to smile at her.

"Dilanda. You've packed already?" she asked slowly, noticing the humongous bow on the girls blonde head.

"Yes." Dilanda smiled sweetly, her cheeks filling up entirely in an attractive blush. "I have everything I need."

Amano snickered, and made a gagging face behind his hands. "Did you pack all of your male clothes as well?" He whispered into Hitomi's ear.

Hitomi elbowed him hard in the ribs, causing him to breathe out uncomfortably.

"Is something wrong, Amano-senpai?" Dilanda asked as she paused the repacking of her school bag.

"He had the noodles for lunch." Hitomi replied hastily, her hand flying to cover Amano's. "Just look at that facial color!" Hitomi's nervous smile was making her cheeks and eyes hurt. "Time for a visit to the nurse, Amano!"

The class became silent as Hitomi grabbed Amano by the collar and proceeded to drag him out of the classroom. The door slammed behind them.

She had meant to take him down the hallway and yell at him, but her hand loosened voluntarily from the collar of his shirt. She watched as it fell down to her side to hang there, lifeless.

Her body stopped moving.

"Hitomi, that was highly embarrassing! Why do you always have to ruin things for me?" Amano got right up in her face, his own turning purple.

"YOU ARE EMBARASSING!" She meant to scream back at him, but the words only echoed in the confines of her mind. Her skin grew cold and clammy, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move at all. Not a single batting of her eyelashes, not even a breath could be taken.

"Did you hear me, Hitomi?" Amano said heatedly. "Hitomi?!"

She couldn't respond.

"Hitomi, are you all right? Why are you just standing there?"

She couldn't say anything; she couldn't move.

Hitomi felt the bottom of her stomach fall out and become a pit as the scenery before her began to change.

"_No…" _Echoed her mind. "_Not another vision. I'm done with that!"_

There was no stopping it.

Van stood before her, his Draconian wings spread out behind him in majesty. He looked so real.

The hold released from her lips; she could speak.

"Van?" Hitomi whispered. "Is that really you?"

He smiled.

Hitomi felt her upper body sway as her invisible chains were lifted. It was as if she was emerging from a vat of maple syrup. The remains of her bondage clung to her, making her feel heavy.

Hitomi tried to move forward, but found she could not. Her legs were still bound.

"Van? What's going on? Can you help me?" Hitomi cried out, waving her arms in the general direction of the man she loved.

Van just stared at her, his eyes narrowing on her neck.

Hitomi looked down at her neck and spotted the pink pendant she had given to him. Why was it back? Why had it returned?

"Van?" Hitomi choked out, her voice rising in hysteria.

The Draconian King shook his head, the bangs of his wild hair falling into his eyes. His hand extended forward, the index and middle fingers flexed toward her then back to their owner, indicating that Hitomi should go to Van.

The hold on her legs shattered with a sound like the raging of a stormy wind. Hitomi stumbled forward, falling onto her hands and knees. She felt weak and drained of energy.

She picked up her hands to look at the palms; they were bleeding freely from the scuff on the ground as she fell.

Her head raised slowly to look at Van, and the pain vanished. He smiled at her, then beckoned again.

Hitomi rose slowly, fighting back the shivers of cold that ran throughout her body and down her spine. She felt as if she was moving through a swamp, her legs encased in freezing muck, her body covered in bruises and scrapes.

Van was not far away, and she reached him quickly. Her body was worn out from such a short distance of travel, and she collapsed forward, seemingly into Van's arms.

Her body fell against what appeared to be an invisible wall. Her eyes had slid shut as she fell, and she reluctantly opened them now, staring through the glass at the image of Van. He was smiling triumphantly now, and in his arms was another girl.

Hitomi stood up in pain as the realization hit her.

The girl was her. She could see the short, auburn hair just above Van's armored sleeve. Her school uniform was noticeable as well.

"_It's just like that other vision I had." _Hitomi thought carefully, trying to control the feelings inside of her.

There was no sound where she was, only the gasps of Hitomi's frantic breathing as she watched Van and herself through the glass.

"Why is it always this way?!" Hitomi shouted into the empty space. "Why are my visions always like this? When I get to watch myself be with Van, and not feel it or know it!!!"

Her words didn't even echo.

"My dreams are as vivid as sunlight, so why are my visions this way?! Are you torturing me?! Just because we aren't meant to be together?!" Hitomi felt the tears ice cold on her cheek before she knew she was crying.

She backed away from the barrier, hugging herself to attempt to keep herself warm.

She should be able to feel his warm arms around her, the hole in her heart should be filled. Merely watching what was supposed to happen didn't help at all. She needed more.

Hitomi sagged to the ground as she began to lose consciousness. It was so cold…

There was something under her, supporting her from the freezing floor. It was hard, but still much better than the ice of the floor. She was beginning to warm up.

Hitomi stared blankly at the image of Van and herself as her waist and stomach lit up in warmth. It slowly spread to her chest cavity, filling her lungs with warm, moist air. Her legs caught the fire, and her feet, and also her neck.

Her face was still cold, and her eyes still droopy without any feeling.

Hitomi felt a breath on her cheeks, almost as if the one who was breathing was also laughing at her expense. The breath lit her cheeks aflame, and she could feel the burning blush deep within them.

Fingertips brushed across her eyelids, warm and soothing. She opened them, not sure who it was peering into her face now.

She realized that there were arms around her waist, and she accessed her position, knowing that she had collapsed, and was now supported by the person who was holding her. She felt weightless and floaty.

Hitomi tried, failed, then succeeded in focusing her eyes on her rescuer.

A wild mop of dark black hair assaulted her vision, and beneath it was a pair of gorgeous amber eyes. He was tan, and the white of his smile set nicely to it's background. His wide hands were on her waist; Hitomi could feel every vein in his hands pump against her skin.

She suddenly felt too warm, and knew that her face was devoid of any whiteness of color. She gasped audibly as Van pulled her against his chest, apparently cradling her there in comfort.

"I'm glad you came to see me." He spoke, his voice sending thrilling signals through Hitomi's nervous system.

She barely noticed the way his voice was different than usual. It had a strange twang to it…

Hitomi hid her smile and shifted her legs, feeling the imprint from the hem of the jeans she wore on her thigh. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever was in charge of her visions.

"When do you have to go home?" Van asked her softly, his face rubbing across her feathery hair.

Hitomi shifted again to face him, snuggling deeper into his embrace. She kept silent.

"I guess I'm ruining this aren't I, love?" Van laughed with little sound.

Hitomi smiled to herself, sliding her cool hands into his jacket. This action brought something to her attention.

Van was wearing a jacket. And a t-shirt with a rock band on it. _And_ a pair of blue jeans.

Hitomi swallowed hard and lifted her head to gaze into his face. His answering smile filled her gut with butterflies.

He was wearing a choker around his neck. Hitomi tried to look at it, noticing the coin that dangled in the middle of his neck, but Van lifted her face up to his with one finger.

"I'm up here, love." He whispered, gently touching his lips to her cheek. The mark they left when they had gone burned deeper into her skull even more than her own blush had ever done.

Hitomi tried to speak but lost her voice in a gurgle as soon as it had opened. So, she studied his face instead.

It was Van, there left no doubt in her mind. But her gaze kept wandering down to his neck where the choker was. She couldn't help it.

Hitomi nearly gasped in surprise. On Van's neck, stretching down from under his left earlobe to the end of his chin was a long, white scar. She had never seen it before, and didn't remember it at all. It was luminescent in the strange lighting of the place they were in.

Hitomi snuggled against his muscled chest, her head spinning with worried ideas. "Van?" she whispered, noting the crack in her voice.

His answering reply was a chuckle. "It's been a while since you've called me that." Hitomi felt his left hand trail up her side to rest on her arm. It burned the trail all the way up. "What is it, love?"

Hitomi couldn't remember what she had wanted to say. "Why… why do you call me love?"

Van chuckled again. "It's an endearing term. Everyone I know uses it."

Hitomi released a small smile. "Oh." Was all she said.

There was silence, and Hitomi waved away the nervous feelings to enjoy the time she had in Van's arms, wondering to herself how and when this vision would come true. Who cared if Van decided to wear clothes from her world, or happened to get a strange scar while she was away from him. As long as he was here, now.

"What is the significance of your necklace?" Hitomi asked mildly, blushing and shivering as his lips made contact with her head.

Van pulled away from her slightly and grabbed the object. "This is the crest of my household. Of my Kingdom." He smiled at her. "But I like to forget things like that when I'm with you."

Hitomi blushed again, and took the round coin in her hands. On it was the crest of Fanelia, the dragon and everything. When she thought about it though, Hitomi couldn't ever remember seeing this symbol when she was on Gaea. Maybe she just hadn't noticed it.

"Hitomi." Van's voice had grown serious. He backed away from her completely, leaving Hitomi to notice the harsh coolness of the air. It was then that Hitomi also noticed the presence of a sofa they were seated easily on.

Hitomi frowned, shivered, then tried to worm her way back into Van's arms, but he denied her with a firm grip.

"I want to talk to you, and see your facial reaction." He explained apologetically. Hitomi sank into the couch, watching Van expectantly.

"As you know, I have been placed in an arranged marriage."

Hitomi did NOT know! Her stomach dropped completely out of her system. "WHAT?!" She shouted, ignoring Van's wishes and throwing herself into his arms. He seemed to welcome her gratefully enough.

He wrapped his arms around her soothingly, making a hushing noise with his attractive voice. "My reaction exactly." He purred, running his large, warm hands through Hitomi's hair. "Calm down, love. It's alright."

Hitomi fought against the jealous rage that wormed it's way up inside of her, like bile in her throat.

She felt his lips against her hair and heard him drink in deeply the scent that was hers with his next breath. "What do you say now to my proposition?" He whispered so quietly into her hair that the breath tickled her scalp.

"Repeat it again?" she asked mutedly, not actually knowing the proposition.

Van pulled her to a sitting position. "Will you, Hitomi Kanzaki, please consent to being my wife?"

The room became a little more warm then, and Hitomi grew hot in Van's embrace. "Wife?" she asked, her voice a tad bit shrill. "When have we discussed this?" She wondered if he would catch the hysteria in her voice and take it as an insult.

"You don't remember, love?" Van asked, revealing signs of insult and sadness.

Hitomi sat up a little more, her features worried. "I live on earth Van, and you on Gaea. How are we supposed to be married?"

_This is a vision Hitomi._ Came the unwanted thought into her brain. She had been all to willing to consider this to be an actual event that was actually occurring at this very moment.

But it felt real enough. And Van certainly looked and felt real.

Her heart thumped as if it was reacting from real experiences.

_It's going to happen._ Came the thoughts again.

"That's right. It is real, just not now." Hitomi muttered aloud. When she looked up, Van was gone. "Hey!" She shouted to the emptiness. "I get it now! Bring him back! I want to know what happens next!"

Just then, a beam of light shot out from her chest, and Hitomi was blinded immediately by the brightness of it. Reluctantly gazing down at the problem, she saw and remembered at the same time about the pink pendant dangling around her neck. But she had given it to Van.

The darkness faded away, and so did the pendant. Instead, she saw the face of Amano as he grabbed hold of her shoulders in concern.

"Hitomi! Kanzaki, snap out of it!" He cried urgently.

Hitomi blinked, then crumpled under the intense feeling of sadness she had gained. "Amano… what happened?" she asked him emotionlessly. Her eyes felt hollow, her chest felt lung less.

"You started talking about your mom." Amano said quietly.

Hitomi looked up at him immediately. "What?" she whispered. It didn't make any sense.

"Do you want me to walk home with you?" Amano asked sweetly, his face full of concern.

"No. I'll do that." Said a quiet and calm voice beside them. Yukari was standing there with a serene look on her face, holding her bag to the side like it was her lifeline, like she had to hold on to it forever, like it was her propping pole.

Hitomi smiled weakly. "See you later Amano." Hitomi looked into his eyes, hoping to find regret or some form of emotion.

"Take care of her, Yukari." Amano said loudly, his voice echoing in the hall. "See you later."

Hitomi sighed as he walked away. "Are you okay, Yukari?"

Hitomi was surprised to hear a giggle.

"I'm fine, Hitomi." Yukari said with a smile. "It's okay now."

* * *

The paper was crisp, glaring, formal. She couldn't help running her hand over the indentions the ink made on the page, and couldn't help releasing angry tears. She looked out the window in defiance, wondering when she would see a day where she wouldn't be possessed.

Millerna was sick of being a possession.

"Sick." She spat and closely followed it with a deep throated snarl and gargoyle grimace. Then she laughed as she caught her image in the mirror and had a sudden thought.

"Men would not want me if I walked around like that." She muttered to herself, playing with a small smile.

She had not left her room that day, she had instead chosen to stay inside and peruse her father's letter over and over. Thoughts kept going through her mind, again and again, not ceasing, not going away.

The only silver lining she could find about her situation was that Van didn't WANT to possess her. At least he was a gentleman, and with him, it was strictly business. Maybe with him, she could be free, to a certain extent that is.

On the other hand though, the stronger hand, Millerna still couldn't bring herself to marry for political reasons all over again. Dryden was enough. And her personality just wouldn't allow it. She was far too stubborn.

She tried and failed to steady herself as a wave of sadness fell over her. Why couldn't she find love? Why wasn't she allowed that chance? Like Hitomi, who found love, though she left it behind, Millerna was sure Hitomi's life was so much better, so much more rich than her own now that she had tasted it, known the feeling of love.

And like Marlene. Marlene, Millerna's older sister who had fallen in love with a Knight, and then had been forced into a political marriage. Wouldn't that even be much better than never knowing at all? Even if she had been stolen away from him and bound and tied to some heartless Duke?

"But, Marlene did fall for the Duke eventually. Once she had cleared her head of Allen…" Millerna wiped a harsh tear away. She didn't want that kind of love. That fondness that came out of her sister and poured into the Duke of Freid. She wanted to know love, know it's bounds and vast seas of pain and realization. Would she ever know it?

Van was her brother, her best friend. Being his wife would not be correct by Millerna's standards. He would take care of her, and she would tend to him, and bear children. And they would grow fonder of one another, but never fall in love. It would be like an extended friendship with political reasons and intimate moments. They wouldn't be in love… they wouldn't…

Millerna hunched over in her chair, forgetting to be a lady in the loneliness of her room. She hugged her knees to her chest up on her chair.

"I could retaliate him." Millerna whispered, hating her father with every fiber of her being. She could try to fall for someone, one of Van's soldiers for instance, or maybe even one of Allen's men.

Allen.

Millerna quickly pushed the thought aside. She had once thought she loved him, then realized as she grew that it was only a fascination with who he was, and the romantic idea that he had attempted to be with her sister even through her new marriage. But that was the problem. He had been with her sister. Millerna didn't think it would be quite right between herself and Allen, everyday they'd both be thinking, "Marlene was here." It didn't help that Millerna and Marlene were similar in appearance, and they were both in the same predicament.

But Allen looked so lonely.

"Gah, stop it Millerna!" Millerna grabbed her head and cried out in frustration.

She could just run away from it all. Millerna had a sudden image of herself trying to get to the Mystic Moon for a visit to Hitomi. She would know what to do. Perhaps Millerna could live there.

"The Mystic Moon? Be serious Milly." She sighed in annoyance.

Retaliation. The word hung on the tip of her tongue.

"Retaliation?" Millerna stood slowly, tightening the ribbons on the bodice of her dress to a suitable degree for going outside. She grabbed her gloves and slipped them on securely, then went to the door. Her hand froze on the handle for a second, but she waved all of her questions away. This feeling she had right now, these impulses were amazing and new to her, and she wasn't going to let them get away without acting on them. And it was a rare occasion, but Millerna had no clue what she was going to do. How did one attract a man for love?

She felt like somewhat of an idiot as she walked down the crowded street of the city, people staring at her with questions in her eyes. She had no clue what made up love, or how you acquired it, she only knew that she wanted it without question. She knew it didn't happen immediately, it was gradual, and that you didn't MAKE it happen… so she felt extremely stupid now that she was out of her room and looking for love. It wasn't going to come.

"Princess, what are you doing out alone?" Millerna cringed, stopping in her tracks, knowing the voice that addressed her and hating it. Why? Why was it him, why was fate so cruel?

Millerna continued walking as if she hadn't heard him. For a wild second, she had half a mind to tell him just exactly WHY she was out of her room at such a late hour. Then, a second later, she had erased the idea in panic and obvious horror. What would he think of her?!

"Princess Millerna?" He spoke, his voice following her. People stopped their busy activities to stare at her, whispers of the word 'princess' flowing through the crowds.

Millerna set a grim smile on her face and turned to face him, swallowing her heart back down after it leapt out of her chest. "What are you wearing?"

Allen's eyebrows creased as he looked down quizzically at his outfit. "What's wrong with it?"

"_Nothing is wrong with it!" _Millerna thought while she said at the same time, "Where is your uniform?"

Allen adjusted the collar on his black, form-fitting shirt and played with the tie for a bit, obviously willing it to behave. "You never came out of your room today, so I had no duties. I've been tired of wearing that dastardly uniform constantly, so I changed. Does it bother you? I can change if you will it."

Millerna stopped her gaze from flowing down his tall body. He looked like some fancy King, or rich Duke, something to that effect. She blinked, then willed herself to peek at his legs and feet, noticing as a royal, the perfectly tailored pants, and the ebony boots, sleek and easy on the eyes. He had a cape as well, a long royal blue one, with rich embroidery on the bottom of it. His gloves fit every single angle of his hands like he was born wearing them. (author here! Basically… Allen is dressed like a very cool aristocrat, kinda like the Count of Monte Cristo. Hee hee!)

"Where did you get all of this? If my father saw you like this… and not in uniform… oh dear…" Millerna was slightly hyperventilating. She tried to breathe while turning to glare at a group of young women gawking at Allen, blushing and giggling to one another.

Allen stepped closer to her, his arms outstretched to catch her should she faint. "Millerna, are you alright?"

Millerna stepped back from him, shaking her head to clear it. "Yes, yes. I'm fine." Her face was aflame, burning like dragons blood. _"Get ahold of yourself! Stop being a fool! You command him!"_

Allen stepped back as well, putting more distance between them, giving Millerna a better chance to survive. "They were my Fathers."

Millerna lay a small hand over her heart, feeling the radical beats. "What was that?"

Allen smiled softly. "These clothes were my fathers. He left them behind because they were too nice to wear on his excavations."

Millerna calmed immediately. "Your fathers clothes…?" Millerna let her mind wander, remembering the story of Allen's father. She wondered briefly if it hurt to wear those clothes, if it hurt to know that wearing them and having them fit so nicely that it might mean you will end up exactly like him.

Millerna yelped as Allen shocked her out of her thoughts by offering her his arm. She just stared at it, blushing madly as he spoke.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" He spoke softly, mindful of the village people audience. Millerna felt his gaze on her face and decided she wouldn't look up if it saved her life.

"O-Okay." She attempted to say smoothly but accidentally hacked it up. Her stomach flipped as she slipped her small hand around Allen's arm and he placed his large, warm hand over her own.

"Thank-you." He replied to her actions, then began to walk, watching the scenery ahead of him. Millerna matched her pace to his own, recognizing that he had shortened his to make it comfortable to her. She stared at the ground as she went, feeling hot from the village gazes as they passed. She didn't know where he was taking her, but he was her Knight, sworn to protect her, and she trusted him.

They made their way out of the city gradually as the sun went down and the moon came up. Millerna dared to glance up at Allen's face and marveled at the way his hair attained a silvery look in the sparse light. Not watching the ground as usual, Millerna stubbed her boot onto a stone and stumbled a bit, catching herself on Allen's arm. She quickly turned her head back to the grassy floor, wincing at the feel of his gaze again.

"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly, squeezing her hand softly with his own.

Millerna's heart skipped, hating him for suddenly turning into a gentleman and looking so handsome. What had happened? The other day, he was so rude to her. This wasn't Allen. "I'm fine." She spoke quickly, wishing her heart to calm down.

He never said anything, but she knew he had looked away from her again.

They continued on the little dirt path that led from the city, and Millerna wondered if he was taking her to the next little town that was not far away. She had no clue why, but it seemed his only idea when he steered her off of the road.

"Be careful." He said quietly, patting her arm for whatever reason he did. "There are stones out here you could trip on."

Millerna blushed angrily. "I won't trip." She said defiantly. His answer was a soft chuckle.

Silence passed away. "Where are you taking me?"

Allen didn't answer. She rolled her eyes, feeling some more of the 'old her' returning. She felt more herself, especially when she started to make up ideas about where Allen was taking her. Among those, murder was the most wild and highly unlikely, but it enabled her to gain her head and not feel so love struck.

Millerna gasped inwardly. Was that what she felt? Love struck?

She wanted to glare at Allen, but knew she couldn't look at him without losing all of the emotion she had worked to gain in the last recent moments. How dare he cause her to fall for him! If this emotion she felt was love… she hated him for it. No wonder Marlene fell for him, no woman had a chance. And he still had that prostitute girl. Millerna fumed inside.

Allen stopped walking suddenly, and Millerna looked up at him, ready to take in whatever he had waiting for her. His face was turned upwards, toward the moon. He looked peaceful, serene, like an angel with the light falling upon him and chasing shadows down his back. Millerna sighed, feeling lost and insignificant. He was gazing at the moon as if it held something for him.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He said so quietly it could have been a gust of wind. "It's too bad this moon only comes around one month out of the year."

Millerna opened her mouth for sarcasm, but changed her mind to something softly rude instead. "The other moons are prettier."

Millerna choked on the look he gave her from the corner of his eye, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Do you think so?" He asked casually, returning his gaze to the moon.

Disconcerted and feeling a little woozy from the presence of Allen, Millerna tugged her arm away from his. He dropped his head to a normal looking level and faced her haughty expression.

"Marlene and I used to discuss you." He spoke on a sweet tone, smiling sadly at the sharp intake of breath from Millerna. "I know… I never mention her. But I have a reason to now."

Millerna readied herself for his suave speech about Gaea knows what with a tough and angry face. "What would that be?" she asked in a controlled voice. "_If he says 'You, Millerna.' I'm going to slap him."_

"I'm moving on." He said quickly, turning once again to gaze at the moon.

Millerna lost all train of thought. "Oh." She might have said. "_Of course… everything isn't about you, Milly."_ She mentally reprimanded herself.

"I… wanted to speak to you. Will you hear me out?" Allen said in a whisper as he stepped closer to her, his attention focused solely on her features in the moonlight.

Millerna couldn't speak, so she nodded, not sure how she should ready herself for whatever was coming.

There was a pause of silence within which Allen fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve. "Marlene once named that moon after you. Did you know?"

Millerna felt her stomach drop out of her at the second mention of her deceased, but loved, sister's name. What was he talking about?

"She and I were spending one of our last moments together, before she found out about the existence of Chid." Allen swung his eyes up to lock them with Millerna's. "She told me some things… strange things. She was trying to part with me."

Millerna blinked away from him, not wanting to hear this at all.

"She was worried about you." Allen smiled wholeheartedly, attempting to drive away the sadness. "She was glad that I would be the one to guard over you eventually. And I must say… I do believe she was hoping we would patch up the sadness of losing her by doing it together."

Millerna remembered her sister's kind and strong face as she married the Duke of Freid, Allen watching the entire time.

Allen went on. "She told me, by the light of this moon, that it had always reminded her of you. You were a beautiful child."

Millerna crossed her hands together, gazing down at them sadly. "It must have been hard, knowing she had to tell you to leave her alone."

Allen cleared his throat nervously. "Yes. But… that isn't the point."

Millerna looked up at him. "What is the point, Allen Schezar?"

He smiled at her. "I suppose I did get a little off track. I just, I can't stop thinking of her. And I thought you might like to know she thought of you constantly."

Millerna shivered slightly, not sure if it was from a draft or from the conversation.

"The truth is," Allen began. "I'm sorry."

Millerna looked up from her hands, startled. "What?" Her eyes were opened wide, threatening to spill tears.

She couldn't believe it as Allen's gloved hand extended to lie gently on her soft cheek. She dared to look into his eyes and cringed from the guilt and despair in them. "What do you-, Allen?" She peered at him, confused, as he let his head fall forward onto her own. She felt the weight of it, and felt the weight of his sadness.

"I've not been your Knight, Millerna. I've not been loyal, or even remotely as a Knight should be. I have made fun of you, and ignored your wishes completely, and to make it worse, I have lied to you, and hid things from you. You, my Lady, my allegiance." The words tumbled out of him, and Millerna felt something wet fall down her cheek. She wasn't sure if the tear was his or her own.

"It is a shame…" He whispered, and Millerna felt his head lift from hers, then felt the pressure again on the top of her head, on her hair.

He kissed her there, then on the forehead, and his presence was gone as he backed away from her to go down on one knee. His sword became unsheathed and suddenly it was in her trembling hands.

"I would like to renew my claim of loyalty to my Princess." He said calmly, his head hung between his shoulders.

Millerna gripped the sword, not knowing what to do. "But you-, Allen you don't have to!" She exclaimed, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"Get up. Get up!" She cried, falling down beside him and ducking under his curtain of hair to force him to look at her face. "All is forgiven." She froze at the look he gave her, feeling despair clutch at her heart.

"I order you, Allen Schezar, Knight of Caeli, to tell me immediately what is bothering you so much." She said forcefully as she sat back and watched him sit upward again.

"I've already told you." He said grimly, staring at his sword gleaming in the moonlight.

Millerna sighed and collapsed into a slouch for the second time that day, ignoring the look Allen gave her for her unladylike actions. "Well, you don't have to go all 'I must repent and have my head cut off' on me!" She ran a hand through her hair as Allen began to protest.

"I didn't say to cut my head off!" He growled at her, clearly embarrassed. Millerna hid her smile, pleased she had one-upped him in this. His annoyed face was somehow so much easier to live with than his depressed one. The latter made her uneasy to see calm, cool, collected Allen in a state of certain uncalm, uncool, and uncollected. That usually meant that Gaea was spinning in the wrong direction.

Millerna laughed inside, amused at the thoughts she had the entire way here, her imagination going wild at what business Allen could have with her.

"So." She sighed again. "This is what you wanted me to walk with you for? Why the fancy clothes?"

Allen lay back in the grass, surprising Millerna with his lack of decorum. "I thought you would like them. I guess I was wrong."

Millerna gagged on her own saliva.

"At least I got to talk to you though. I had planned on talking to you in your room, but you weren't there, so I went looking for you." He said wistfully, his mind elsewhere as he removed his gloves. Millerna blushed, glad he couldn't see that particular reaction from his position on the grassy floor.

Millerna placed her hands in her lap, staring at her own gloves. She would do it. She would try to be defiant. She felt as if she was teetering on the edge of a precipice, her shoes slipping down the side while her arms held onto the top for want of life.

Millerna, tentatively , let go.

"I… I did… well I-, that is…" She choked on her words, feeling like a Gaean sheep for her ignorance and simple speech capacity. "I think you look… look very handsome today… Mr. Schezar." She had chosen to say 'Mr. Schezar' instead of 'Allen', thinking in a retarded way that it would make it sound nonchalant and uncaring, when all it did was make it more obvious. She only called him by his last name when she was angry, and NEVER called him a mister. Millerna clamped her mouth shut, wincing for his look of embarrassment at her obvious infatuation.

He sat up just as she realized it. "_I am infatuated… I am very infatuated."_

She dared to meet his gaze. "_Is this how it is? Is this how love begins?"_

Allen turned his gaze downward at the grass, causing Millerna to begin fretting. _"Why did I do that? Why, oh why?"_

She watched him play with a particularly long strand of grass with his lengthy white fingertips. As usual, ideas began to run through her mind as she tried to process his reaction and come up with a suitable escape from it. His response shocked her.

"Will you marry Van, as your father wishes?" Allen spoke softly, still playing with the grass. Millerna watched him braid it, speechless.

Her silence told him everything she didn't want to be obliged to say.

"Millerna," Allen sighed. "May I call you Millerna?" He looked up at her, his gaze innocent.

"Of course, you can, Allen. You always do any-,"

Allen cut her off abruptly. "No, not proper." Was all he said.

Millerna felt hurt, offended. "What do you mean?"

His response was immediate. "Princess, I am, for lack of a better word, 'Mr.' Schezar to you. I answer to your wishes."

Millerna cowered away from him in her mind, feeling her emotions shrivel. "Oh." She uttered softly.

Allen leaned forward and wrapped the braided grass around her wrist, his fingers lightly brushing her skin, tying it off with the gentlest of movements. Millerna stared at his hands performing their swift work, and noticed that every time his fingers brushed her skin, he flinched. It made her bolder.

"Fine then." She said smartly, her tone of voice sassy and controlling, the original Millerna that was constantly around.

Allen smiled reluctantly. "And there goes my moon." He said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

Millerna let her guard down again, realizing the impact of his words. Just like the moon who only comes out once a year, then hides her beauty, she hid away her feelings for him. Did that mean that he looked forward to the times in her life when she loved him? Did that mean he loved her?

Millerna smiled blithely, rolling her body forward so that she was on her knees and closer to Allen. "So, we are Knight and Princess, are we not?"

Allen looked at her warily, trying to find the double meaning in her words. "That is correct, My Lady."

Millerna breathed in slowly to clear her head. "Then, I wish for you to do something, something gallant and brave and… knightly."

Allen nearly smiled, his thoughts going humorous as to what she was planning. "What would that be?"

Millerna, remembering the power she had over men, pulled her hair over her shoulder and concentrated on gaining the look that made men weak. When she looked up at him however, everything she had concentrated on had gone. He was invincible.

She gave up trying to sound coherent, and settled on getting her point across as best she could.

"Save me from my Father." She said quietly, her gaze full of emotion and forceful upon his face.

Allen hadn't expected that. He appeared confused while thoughtful at the same time. "Has he attacked you or threatened you, My Lady?" Allen asked, his mouth breaking into a large grin.

Millerna felt dismayed. "I'm serious, Allen."

Allen sighed. "Knight Schezar."

Millerna cried out, exasperated, not willing him to know that he had hurt her feelings by not getting the underlying message of her statement. He was too noble. "Are we not friends, at least, so that I can call you by your name?!"

Allen pursed his lips, taken back from her words. "Friends? Millerna, I've learned when a woman is coming on to me… Don't play innocent."

Millerna looked past that embarrassing comment to gasp out loud in joy. "See?! That wasn't so hard! You called me Millerna!"

Allen leaned back away from her, and Millerna realized that she had unconsciously been leaning towards him the entire time. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed that Allen had been leaning toward her as well. So she once again took the entire load of embarrassment for the both of them. An awkward silence reached between them, causing Millerna to sink deeper into a dark depression. She had made a fool out of herself.

"Let it go, Millerna." Allen whispered, kissing her forehead as an older brother would do. "Time will find a way."

Millerna shivered, it was suddenly cold out.

"And," Allen paused. "I don't want to say this but, we can't get too close, Millerna. Do you understand? I can't let anything hinder my duty."

"But I am your duty." Millerna sighed under her breath.

"Exactly." He had heard her. "If I were to fall protecting you, what would you do?"

Millerna stared fiercely into his eyes. "I would bloody well stay behind."

Allen didn't even have to say that was a bad idea.

"I'd bloody well stay behind anyway." She growled defensively. "If it was Gadeth, or Van, I'd stay behind."

Allen just shook his head. "It's time to go back now, Millerna."

Millerna wanted to scream profanities at him. "Okay." She gave in easily, fuming at the progression of the night's topics. "Let's go then."

* * *

**Okay... I put a note in the text about how you should look down here after reading... I think alot of you do anyway... I just wanted to explain the fortune telling game real quick. I learned it from bluetreeleaves, and it is very fun!!! Okay... you get a regular deck of cards, no jokers, and pick out the four kings. Whoever is performing the fortunetelling lays the cards closest to them in order starting from the person getting their fortune read (we'll call them... Bob.)... anyway... starting from Bob's left and on to the right. The first to lay down, closest to you remember, is the king of hearts, then the king of spades, then the king of diamonds, then the king of clubs. for this game, heartslove, spadesmoney, diamondschildren, clubsluck. You then have Bob pick four of their favorite boys(or if Bob is a boy... girls...) and each of the kings become that person for the time being. Naturally, Bob's favorite boy is going to be the heart, and Bob's least favorite is the club... get it? Then, you, the fortuneteller, take the remaining stack of cards and have Bob pick out two cards from the deck, but don't let Bob look at them!!! You lay them somewhere safe and don't look at them either! Then pick, right now!, which one will mean 'date' and which one will mean 'marry'... kay? it doesn't matter which one you make which... just remember which ones you DID make which, otay? lay them to the side... then you proceed to ask questions like "Who looks for you when you walk into a room?" or "who dreamt about you last night?" or even stuff like "who would die for you" and "who wants to kiss you very badly". It's fun to come up with your own questions... just... there is a rule! They have to be romantic gutsy cutey feely questions! aka: romantic questions! Haha! Well... let's say you and Bob decide to ask the fates this: "Who looks for Bob when they walk into a room?" Then You, the fortuneteller, proceed to take a card one by one off of the top of the deck and lay it on top of the king of hearts and so on so that the symbol on the king of hearts is still visible but there is a card on top of it, like in solitaire when you line up the cards in order. well, you asked a question, and you want an answer, correct? Okay. You have been laying cards out on top of the cards and suddenly you see... the card you just layed down is on top of the King of Diamonds... and it is the 2 of Diamonds!!! So... you have your answer! Because the card you layed down matches the suit of the King it has fallen on... that means that whatever boy the King of Diamonds represents is the one who looks for Bob when Bob walks into a room! Yay! So, you continue to ask a question at a time, until you rid your hand of all of the cards and Bob is feeling giddy because boys totally love her... (why does our heroine have a guys name?!) Now... You the fortuneteller ask Bob to pick her two favorite guys and order her to scoop up the cards for the two boys, keeping the two stacks SEPARATE! You the fortuneteller take the other two and stack them, then you tell Bob to do what you do. Now, what do you do, fortuneteller? I'm waiting!!! Hahaha... I'm kidding... I'll tell you! You take one of the stacks and start to sort the cards in the same order that the kings were sitting in the beginning (for example: the heart cards are first, then the spades, then the diamonds, then the clubs.) let's say you put down a 2 of hearts, then a jack of clubs, then an ace of diamonds, then a 7 of spades... now you have a 9 of spades in your hand and you don't know what to do with it!!! You lay it down on the spades pile so that the first spade is still visible, but you can clearly tell that pile is a spades pile, and so on with all the other cards. You do the same to the other Kings stack of cards, and Bob does the exact same thing to her two stacks. Good!!! Then, you annalize the cards to see which life is better! Let's say for instance that the King of Hearts (Bobs favorite) only has 2 hearts, 5 spades, 3 diamonds, and 5 clubs... guess what! The King of diamonds hardly loves Bob...only 2 hearts... He's pretty rich though with 5 spades prooving it, Bob has 3 children with King of Hearts because of the number of diamonds, and they have pretty good luck in life with 5 clubs!!! Do you get it? The amount of cards a king has in each suit is the amount of love/money/kids/luck he has for/with Bob in their life. You look at every King's pile (counting the King's card as one of the amounts) and see which one has a better life for Bob... then you take the card you dubbed as 'date' and reveal it to yourself first to make it suspenseful for Bob and also to be mean... then you show Bob who she will date and she squels either in delight or fear... then you reveal the 'marry' card first to yourself... and then to Bob and she knows then who she will marry! Hoorah!!! Unless it's the one she didn't want... sometimes its fun to throw in a guy you absolutely CANNOT stand... just to see what happens so you can get pissed off! So... go have fun with this!!! The credit all goes to bluetreeleaves tho... I did not invent this game... and again... sorry for not writing sooner!!! but... I am in college now... so the chapters are going to come very slow... I wouldn't hate you if you stopped reading... so... sorry! Till next time!!! Bye!**

**allensXoneXfiancee**


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